Spyware: Difference between revisions
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Spyware is a form of malware designed to gather information from the infected device. Spyware comes in many different shapes and forms and may be installed intentionally or unintentionally.<ref name=":1" /> | Spyware is a form of malware designed to gather information from the infected device. Spyware comes in many different shapes and forms and may be installed intentionally or unintentionally.<ref name=":1" /> | ||
There is considerable debate over the scope of the term malware; while some people and groups qualify certain non-malware software as spyware, such as [[Microsoft]], [[Meta]], and [[Google]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Petrino |first=Gene |title=The Data Big Tech Companies Have On You |url=https://www.security.org/resources/data-tech-companies-have/ |archive-url=https:// | There is considerable debate over the scope of the term malware; while some people and groups qualify certain non-malware software as spyware, such as [[Microsoft]], [[Meta]], and [[Google]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Petrino |first=Gene |title=The Data Big Tech Companies Have On You |url=https://www.security.org/resources/data-tech-companies-have/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260111171613/https://www.security.org/resources/data-tech-companies-have/ |archive-date=11 Jan 2026|access-date=21 August 2025 |website=security.org |type=Uses text to communicate information(with some additional imagery)}}</ref> owned software due to the large quantity of data these corporations collect from its users, others disagree with that qualification, due to the user having technically consented to the data collection. | ||
==How it works== | ==How it works== | ||
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==Why it is a problem== | ==Why it is a problem== | ||
Spyware, as the name suggests, spies on the device, which contains the user's data. Spyware is inherently negative for users' privacy. As companies like [[Microsoft]], [[Meta]] and [[Google]] are collecting more information on consumers(either by legal or illegal means), they make users less secure & more susceptible to data breaches/leaks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Jan 2026 |title=Data Breaches 2025: Biggest Cybersecurity Incidents So Far |url=https://www.pkware.com/blog/recent-data-breaches |archive-url=https:// | Spyware, as the name suggests, spies on the device, which contains the user's data. Spyware is inherently negative for users' privacy. As companies like [[Microsoft]], [[Meta]] and [[Google]] are collecting more information on consumers(either by legal or illegal means), they make users less secure & more susceptible to data breaches/leaks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Jan 2026 |title=Data Breaches 2025: Biggest Cybersecurity Incidents So Far |url=https://www.pkware.com/blog/recent-data-breaches |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260116190555/https://www.pkware.com/blog/recent-data-breaches |archive-date=16 Jan 2026|access-date=31 Jan 2026 |website=pkware.com}}</ref> | ||
===Spyware & data collection from a consumer rights perspective:=== | ===Spyware & data collection from a consumer rights perspective:=== | ||