However, adware is generally associated with software that generates ads the user did not specifically authorize, especially too many ads that overload a system and that affect or disrupt a user's normal online experience.īecause of the potentially negative effects of ads, adware has come to be associated with malware, software used to gain access to a system to steal data and damage it in some way. Ads can be in the form of pop-ups, messages, new browser windows, new browser tabs, or additions and alterations to non-malicious websites.Īny free, ad-supported software or service can be labeled as adware. Adware is any software that displays online advertisements to users, with the developers of the software collecting revenue from those ads.
