What is Adware?

The term Adware or advertising-supported software is used to refer to any software package that automatically downloads or displays advertising material on a computer after being installed on it or while the application is being used by an unsuspecting user. Adware is nothing but a software with advertising functions integrated into it and which is usually bundled with a utility or program. Adware is commonly seen by the programmers as a tool to recover the program development costs. When accompanied with an Adware, a program or utility may be provided to the user free of charge or at a reduced price. The advertising income may act as an incentive for the programmer to continue writing, maintaining and upgrading the software product.

Some of the adware is licensed as shareware. In this way, the word is used to make distinction between different types of shareware available on the Internet. In comparison to other software products, an adware is primarily advertising-supported. An adware may offer its users an option to upgrade to a ‘registered’ or ‘licensed’ copy to do away with any annoying advertisements.

An adware is usually harmless to the user but the real concern is that it often morphs into a spyware, in which information about the user's activity is tracked, reported, and often re-sold, often without the knowledge or consent of the user. This can go a step further and turn into a malware that may interfere with the normal functioning of other software applications, in order to force the users to visit a particular web site.

People often confuse the term ‘adware’ with ‘spyware’ and ‘malware’, especially since all these concepts are closely related to each other. For example, if one user installs an ‘adware’ on a computer, and consents to a tracking feature, the ‘adware’ turns into a ‘spyware’. When another user visits that computer, and interacts with it, he is also tracked by the ‘adware’ without their prior consent that makes it a ‘malware’.

Increasing reports of Spyware have prompted a loud outcry from computer security experts and privacy advocates around the world. Often, spyware applications send the user's browsing habits to an ad-serving company, which then indulges in targeted advertising based on the users’ interests.

Adware programs other than spyware do not invisibly collect and upload the activity record or personal information when the user of the computer has not approved of such a transfer. However, some adware vendors maintain that applications offerred by them are not spyware due to the disclosure of the program activities: for example, a product vendor may indicate a clause in the product's Terms of Use that third-party software will be included in the package that may collect and report on the computer usage. Such a disclosure in the Terms of Use makes it an adware.

A number of software applications are available to help the common computer users search for and modify adware programs to block the presentation of advertisements and to remove any accompanied spyware modules. To avoid a backlash, as with the advertising industry in general, creators of adware must balance their attempts to generate revenues with users' desire to be left alone.

Emmanuel Aigbehi