PDFCreator Help |
Is the PDFCreator Toolbar Spyware? It is right that under this *very* general description at wikipedia this may be considered spyware, as very much else software could be: "In simpler terms, spyware is a type of program that watches after what users do with their computer and then send this information to a hacker over the internet. Spyware can collect many different types of information about a user. More benign programs can attempt to track what types of websites a user visits and send this information to an advertisement agency." Just an example: When you use the "Check for updates" Feature of PDFCreator, then it will send a simple HTTP Request to a certain file at pdfforge.org. During the normal webserver logging process, this request will appear in the log files together with your IP address, which has to be considered to be indirect personal data, as you have the option to track it down to personal data. Is this spyware then? I think the main difference is if this is done unasked and undisclosed amount. The company that created the toolbar is very strict with that and they declare everything the toolbar is doing in the license agreement and some things that behave differently in the browser via balloon tooltips. (Like after the installation, where it tells the user that it is there) Furthermore, the company works together with major Anti Ad- and Spyware companies to ensure, that it can be consider transparent and unharmful for the user. These unclude: Microsoft Windows , Anti-Spyware Webroot SpySweeper, Computer Associates Pest Patrol, PC Tools Spyware Doctor, Aluria Spyware Scanner and Spyware Eliminator. If anyone should still have concerns that it may transfer data that you do not like, then you do not have to install it, it is completely optional, and can be removed at any time after installation. |