Adware facts for kids

Adware is a special kind of computer program that shows you advertisements. It can get onto your computer without you even knowing it.

Adware is a bit tricky because companies sometimes use it to see what you are doing online. They might watch which web pages you visit. Then, they show you advertisements that match what you are looking at. For example, if you are looking at new shoes, you might see ads for shoes.

Sometimes this can be helpful if you are trying to buy something. But many people do not like getting lots of ads. They also do not want others to know what they are doing online.

A famous example was with a file sharing program called Kazaa. When people downloaded it, adware was also installed. This adware then sent ads to their computers. Because of this, some people used a different version of the program called Kazaa Lite. This version did not include the adware.

How to Remove Adware

Special tools have been made to help people get rid of these unwanted programs. These are often called "adware removal tools."

Just like other security programs, these tools need to be updated often. Updating helps the tool recognize new types of adware that are created. You can usually update these programs by downloading new files from the internet. Look for an 'update' option within the program itself.

See also

In Spanish: Adware para niños