Adware is software that creates advertisements automatically to be presented to users as part of their online experience. Adverts may appear at a point on a webpage, in a box or banner, or may open a new window (a ‘pop up’). Particularly intrusive ones may take over the full screen. Some definitions also add that the adware should install itself without the user’s knowledge or permission, and so is a kind of malware. Although adblockers or pop-up blockers exist, some adware will attempt to evade or dismantle such programs.
Some adware also gathers information about users’ browsing history, enabling profiling for targeted advertising and the use or sale of personal data.
p. 10Further reading
See also: BEHAVIOURAL ADVERTISING, CONTEXTUAL ADVERTISING, SPYWARE
Aycock, J., 2011. Spyware and adware. New York: Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-77741-2.
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Aycock, J., 2011. Spyware and adware. New York: Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-77741-2.
