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An article I got out of a ZD Net newsletter some time ago. It should be still helpful.

Spyware

A newsletter I received from ZD Net had a link to this article. I felt everybody is bothered by banner ads and are concerned about hidden programs that send out their personal information. I have not changed any part of this article.
Note: Some of this article deals with your registry and is not for the weak of heart. Remember, always make a back up before doing anything with your registry if you decide to try any of these instructions and programs.

By Robert Vamosi, Help & How-To ZD Net

Also known as "adware," this hidden software program transmits user information via the Internet to advertisers in exchange for free downloaded software.

What if you could download for free a robust application that allowed you to do almost everything that an expensive, brand-new program did? In exchange for having this incredible application program for free, all you have to do is give your name, address, phone, e-mail, and some other general information. Sounds great, doesn't it? But, what if your personal information was also stored elsewhere on your hard drive, and in this instance, routinely transmitted your personal data via Internet back to advertisers in exchange for more advertising? Now we are talking about spyware, aka adware.

According to one adware company, Radiate, "Consumers can click on banners (within the software) and receive cached Web site pages to view or to order advertised products. When the user goes back online, the appropriate information is sent to the advertiser and tracked by Radiate." Radiate uses a software program called Aureate. It is installed at the same time as the original free application. There are additional companies that offer other free products that do basically the same thing -- record a user's browsing habits, then upload that information via the Internet in exchange for more advertising.

Download sites, such as ZD Net Downloads, have begun posting notices on applications that use ad-sponsored spyware. In many cases, a non-ad sponsored version of the application is also available, as in the case of the popular Go!Zilla program. If it is unclear at the time of download, pay particular attention to the licensing agreements and registration information requested at the time of the program's installation.

A lot of high-quality free applications, or freeware, have what appear to be standard user registration forms -- but watch out, some are, in reality, future sources of demographic information for so-called adware or spyware. In principle, the software provider should notify users that this information may be used for advertisers. In practice, such disclaimers are sometimes hard to find. It is well worth your while to click on and read all provided text links.

Be aware that software providers are not required to provide this information. So follow general rule of thumb: Any offline application that includes banner advertising in its user interface may be using spyware. The next time you connect to the Internet, information gathered about which ads you clicked on, and the duration of your visit to the advertiser's site, will be sent back to the respective advertisers. A fresh supply of ads -- usually based on your previous ad clicks or demographic information supplied at the time of the installation -- will be sent back to your application's interface to replace the current ads. (Note from me: I use a few of these type of applications and I have seen that after visiting some sites I start getting spam e-mail from them or another company of their type and I never filled out any forms or gave them my e-mail address.)

Warning: Say you grow tired of your free application and use Windows to Add/Remove it from your system. Guess what? The spyware will remain on your computer, often buried within the Windows System Registry.

Detecting and deleting spyware requires additional software.

Note: Removing the spyware program while the freeware is still installed may disable the use of the free application software.

The question still remains: Should you use free applications? It's a trade-off. On the one hand, you are opening yourself up to very targeted advertising. On the other hand, someone worked hard to code that high-quality program you are using for free and only receives the compensation for their hard work by installing spyware for advertisers.

Put an end to adware.

Spyware

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