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I have mentioned (ranted actually...)
before about "Spyware" programs that will track your browsing
habits, collect private information about you and "phone home" then
tailor advertisements to what "they" perceive are your
possible buying habits.
Some of these programs are disguised as
FREE email or browser "enhancements" Programs like Hotbar etc.
I mention Hotbar in particular because I have been getting
questions about WHY Western Idaho Internet is using/allowing popup ads on our
website.
We are not.
The use of this and some other
"FREE" programs allow popup ads to appear to be coming from the
website you are viewing but are in reality there because of the Hotbar (or
other similar program) installation.
This is an excerpt from Hotbar's privacy
policy:
|
"HOTBAR
COLLECTS AND STORES INFORMATION ABOUT THE WEB PAGES YOU VIEW AND THE
DATA YOU ENTER IN SEARCH ENGINE SEARCH FIELDS WHILE USING THE
SOFTWARE. HOTBAR USES THIS INFORMATION TO DETERMINE WHICH
ADS AND BUTTONS TO DISPLAY ON YOUR HOTBAR TOOLBARS AND WHICH ADS TO
SHOW YOUR BROWSER."
"If
you download and install the Hotbar toolbar software (the
"Software"), we collect any information voluntarily provided
by you during the installation and registration process, which can
include your email address as well as demographic information such as
gender, age, occupation, household income, zip code and country." |
Hotbar is only one of many programs that
do the same thing.
|
ALWAYS
read the privacy policy prior to downloading and installing software
off of the Internet! |
I have run across a program that will find
and remove these spyware programs. It will also check for (and remove if
required) auto-dialers that can call a number without your knowledge and connect
you to a $$$$ per minute service. (My son found a $130.00, 32 minute phone
call on his bill...)
The program is called "Spybot Search
and Destroy" and can be found at http://security.kolla.de/
This is a website in Denmark but is in English.
This
is their "about the program" page.
I have had the program installed on my
computers (and NOW on my son's..) for several months without problems.
As always I do not tech support this
program but their tutorial explains things in a straight forward manor.
