Spyware or Adware?
The SaveNow Debate
SaveNow is described as
an add-on program, often bundled and distributed with downloadable programs by
DivS player, Bearshare, Imesh and other vendors. The program was developed by WhenU who states
that SaveNow is merely useful adware.
However, it tracks every website you visit on the internet and generates
pop-up advertisements based on your web surfing patterns. It also automatically downloads updates from
a database without consent while collecting a variety of additional
information. Because of this, many
critics have termed SaveNow as a spyware application.
There has been much
debate amongst security experts and software vendors about what is useful adware
and what constitutes as intrusive spyware.
According to security experts, the following factors should be used for
clarification:
- adware clearly displays
it's presence and purpose during installation, whereas spyware does not
- spyware generally gives
no benefits to the user
- spyware tracks a user's
online surfing habits and other behavior then reports it to a remote location
- adware programs are
simple to remove manually, whereas spyware typically requires anti-spyware
software
SaveNow: Considered Spyware
The fact that SaveNow
often comes included with three well known spyware applications makes this
software very questionable.
Distinguishing spyware from legitimate adware has been an ongoing
dispute that can be looked at from many different views. Despite the claims by WhenU, several critics
continue to classify this program as spyware because of the following
characteristics:
Inaccurate Disclosure
- adware must clearly display it's presence and purpose upon downloading and
installing of the program. Many
individuals attempt to install SaveNow with drive-by download methods using
Active X controls. The presence of this
software also may not be clearly stated when a user has certain security
settings.
Automatic Downloads
- a few of the SaveNow variants automatically download updates to a user's
computer. This is often combined with
the process of collecting more data without the user's knowledge. Legitimate software companies rarely function
in this manner and often give a user the option to consent before making
updates.
Difficult to Remove
- Many variants of the SaveNow program have no "Add/Remove Program" entry in
the control panel of Windows. This makes
the software very difficult to uninstall as the BHO (browser helper object) it
uses must be completely removed, a task that often requires the aid of
anti-spyware software.
WhenU has since made
changes in the way it distributes software and to our knowledge, the company no
longer user third-party vendors or bundles to distribute their programs. Distribution of their software appears to be
in-house and any bundles only contain other products by WhenU.
The company also claims
that their software does not track user data, employ adware tracking cookies,
or create a centralized database of user data for any purpose other than user
profiling.
While the WhenU company
has cleaned up their act somewhat, many of the characteristics found in their
software indicate that SaveNow is much more than friendly adware. Several companies operate in this manner to
persuade users into the belief that these type of programs are not spyware. If you are not comfortable with having your
personal data collected and receiving updates you didn't approve, we strongly
suggest staying away from programs such as SaveNow.
