• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, July 7, 2005

Almost half of all Internet users in the United States have stopped visiting certain Web sites because of their fear of spyware and adware, according to a study released Thursday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

The study, "Spyware," based on telephone interviews of 2,001 adults in May and June, found that adware/spyware fears led 81 percent of respondents to stop opening some e-mail attachments, 48 percent to cease visiting particular Web sites, 34 percent to stop downloading software, 25 percent to stop downloading music or video from file-sharing services, and 18 percent to change Web browsers.

In a finding consistent with other research, Pew reported that most online users don't read license agreements. Almost three-quarters of Pew's respondents--73 percent--admitted they don't always read the user agreements and other disclaimers that accompany downloads. A study released several months ago by the Ponemon Institute found that 87 percent of heavy Internet users acknowledge not reading licenses before doing downloads. At the same time, more than half--54 percent--of Pew's respondents said they now read user agreements more carefully than in the past.

The report also reveals that many online users lack a solid knowledge of adware and spyware; just 52 percent said they had a good understanding of what adware means, while 78 percent said they had a good idea of the meaning of spyware.

When researchers defined the terms for respondents and then asked whether they have had such programs on their home computers, 59 percent answered in the affirmative. But the report indicates that percentage is probably an underestimate. "There are significant gaps between people's perceptions and the reality of what is on their computers, and there is a very strong likelihood that a big portion of those who have had computer problems have been victimized by spyware or more aggressive computer viruses without knowing the cause of their problems," states the report.

Executives from adware companies WhenU and Claria, and research company Gartner, advised Pew on putting together the survey, as did representatives from the law firm Collier Shannon Scott and the Center for Democracy and Technology.