Editing Adware (section)

{{Short description|Software with, often unwanted, adverts}}
{{For|the anti-malware program|Adaware}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tyagi |first=Amit Kumar |last2=Abraham |first2=Ajith |date=2022-05-26 |title=Recurrent Neural Networks |url=https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003307822 |doi=10.1201/9781003307822|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

'''Adware''', often called '''advertising-supported software''' by its developers, is [[software]] that generates revenue by automatically displaying [[Online advertising|online advertisements]] in the user interface or on a screen presented during the installation process.

The software may generate two types of revenue: one is for the display of the advertisement and another on a "[[pay-per-click]]" basis, if the user clicks on the advertisement. Some advertisements also act as [[spyware]],<ref name="FTC-REPORT-2005">FTC Report  (2005). "[http://www.ftc.gov/os/2005/03/050307spywarerpt.pdf]"</ref> collecting and reporting data about the user, to be sold or used for [[targeted advertising]] or [[Profiling (information science)|user profiling]]. The software may implement advertisements in a variety of ways, including a static box display, a banner display, a full screen, a [[video]], a [[pop-up ad]] or in some other form. All forms of advertising carry [[Criticism of advertising|health, ethical, privacy and security risks]] for users.

The 2003 ''Microsoft Encyclopedia of Security'' and some other sources use the term "adware" differently: "any software that installs itself on your system without your knowledge and displays advertisements when the user browses the Internet",<ref name="MS-Enc-Sec">{{cite book
 |title = Microsoft Encyclopedia of Security
 |publisher = [[Microsoft Press]]
 |location = Redmond, Washington
 |year = 2003
 |first = Mitch
 |last = Tulloch
 |editor1-first = Jeff
 |editor1-last = Koch
 |editor2-first = Sandra
 |editor2-last = Haynes
 |page = 16
 |isbn = 978-0-7356-1877-0
}}</ref> i.e., a form of [[malware]]. Some developers offer software free of charge and rely on advertising revenue to recoup their expenses and generate income. Some offer a version without advertising, for a fee.