How does adware typically differ from spyware?

• A. It reports your information to external sources.
• B. It pulls down pop-ups on items you may be interested in.
• C. It speeds up your computer by cleaning temporary files.
• D. It blocks ads and protects privacy.

Answer: (B)

Adware is software that displays advertising to you, often as pop-ups or banners, sometimes tailored to things you appear to be interested in. That behavior matches pulling down pop-ups on items you may be interested in, which is exactly what adware does to generate revenue or visibility for ads.

Spyware, on the other hand, is designed to secretly collect information about you and send it to others, such as what you browse, keystrokes, or login details. That’s why options describing data reporting or surveillance don’t fit adware.

The other two ideas aren’t typical of adware either: cleaning temporary files to speed up a computer isn’t a function of adware, and blocking ads or protecting privacy is the opposite of what adware is supposed to do. So the best description of adware’s behavior is displaying pop-up ads you might be interested in.