28 Spyware programs per PC?
I’m sick of hearing about Earthlink’s Statistics on Spyware. Clickz.com says the average computer houses roughly 28 items of monitoring software. According to the BBC, the average computer is packed with hidden software that can secretly spy on online habits. Most of the articles are just regurgitating Earthlink’s vague and inaccurate press release.
These highly suspect statistics come from Earthlink’s Spy Audit service, which has a generous (and wrong) definition of spyware that includes "Adware Cookies"–any advertising-related cookies. A scan of my spyware-free PC revealed 80 such items, including legitimate cookies from several advertisers I use myself, not to mention one from Clickz.com. Despite what you might think about cookies and privacy, cookies are data–not spyware by any stretch of the imagination–and they make up a full 80% of the "total instances of spyware" in this survey.
Assuming the Spy Audit numbers are correct, they found an average of 0.35 items of actual spyware per computer scanned. One item of spyware per three computers. That’s a scary statistic, but there’s no need to blow it ridiculously out of proportion. Unless you have a Spyware Blocker feature to promote, of course.
is very niss