WhenU
Encyclopedia
WhenU Save/SaveNow developed by the company WhenU, is a piece of advertising
software generally considered to be adware
or spyware
. The program delivers advertisements, compares shopping results and other offers to users' computers, and tracks their browsing habits. WhenU is typically installed with other applications, ostensibly to support the free existence of those applications. WhenU cannot be installed without a user reading a disclosure screen and clicking "I accept" or "Next" to give consent, sometimes unknowingly. This model is similar to previous software known as Gator from the company now known as Claria Corporation
.
briefly de-listed WhenU as an adware target in February 2005. Why these two programs stopped detecting WhenU while continuing to target other similar adware programs has led to some speculation of their reasoning. WhenU was added back to Lavasoft's detection list a month later.
Despite these security concerns, TRUSTe
has included WhenU's advertising software in its whitelist as certified software.
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
software generally considered to be adware
Adware
Adware, or advertising-supported software, is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer. These advertisements can be in the form of a pop-up. They may also be in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user during...
or spyware
Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...
. The program delivers advertisements, compares shopping results and other offers to users' computers, and tracks their browsing habits. WhenU is typically installed with other applications, ostensibly to support the free existence of those applications. WhenU cannot be installed without a user reading a disclosure screen and clicking "I accept" or "Next" to give consent, sometimes unknowingly. This model is similar to previous software known as Gator from the company now known as Claria Corporation
Claria Corporation
Claria Corporation was a software company based in Redwood City, California with products many considered spyware. It was established in 1998 by Denis Coleman. Its name was often used interchangeably with its Gain advertising network, which it claimed serviced over 40 million users...
.
Security Concerns
Although WhenU's advertising software declares that it poses no risk of harm to users' computers, it is considered by many to be unsafe because it serves pop-up advertisements and slows down the computer. Lavasoft's AdAware and Computer Associates' PestPatrolPestPatrol
CA Anti-Spyware is a spyware detection program distributed by CA, Inc. Until 2007, it was known as PestPatrol.-History:PestPatrol, Inc. was a Carlisle, PA based software company, which developed PestPatrol and released its first version in 2000....
briefly de-listed WhenU as an adware target in February 2005. Why these two programs stopped detecting WhenU while continuing to target other similar adware programs has led to some speculation of their reasoning. WhenU was added back to Lavasoft's detection list a month later.
Despite these security concerns, TRUSTe
TRUSTe
TRUSTe is a company based in San Francisco, California, best known for its online privacy seals. TRUSTe operates the world’s largest privacy seal program, certifying more than 3,500 websites, including leading online portals and brands like Yahoo, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple Inc., IBM, Oracle...
has included WhenU's advertising software in its whitelist as certified software.