when is a spyware referred to as adware
Adware When the term is used in this way, the severity of its implication varies. While some sources rate adware only as an "irritant",[25] others classify it as an "online threat"[26] or even rate it as seriously as computer viruses and trojans.[27] The precise definition of the term in this context also varies.[c] Adware that observes the computer user's activities without their consent and reports it to the software's author is called spyware.[29] However most adware operates legally and some adware manufacturers have even sued antivirus companies for blocking adware.[30]