the.com/spyware
Software that moves into your device and starts taking notes on you.
means Malicious code that secretly gathers your data, habits, and keystrokes, then ships them off without consent.
from Coined in the mid-1990s, fusing spy with software; the term went mainstream around 2000 as ad-tracking infestations exploded.
Keystroke loggersSome record every key you press, passwords included.
Bundled stowawayOften hitchhikes inside free downloads you actually wanted.
Stalkerware branchMarketed to monitor partners and children, legally murky.