Hidden Demons

A little higher on the Spy-Ware food chain lurks covert software that's downloaded along with programs from companies you trust. For example, Real Networks, the maker of RealPlayer, was caught gathering listening habits, preferred music genres, and other information from anyone who installed its popular Real Jukebox program. Although the company claimed to be profiling users' listening habits in order to customize Real Jukebox for each person, those users didn't know they were being monitored. After much public outcry, Real Networks quickly revised its privacy policy and released a patch that let users block the transmission of their personal information.