A PUP or potentially unwanted program is a program that may be unwanted, despite the possibility that users consented to download it. PUPs include spyware, adware, and dialers, and are often downloaded in conjunction with a program that the user wants.
The term was created by McAfee, the Internet Security company, because marketing firms objected to having their products called “spyware”: in the view of such firms, all the information necessary for informed consent is included in the downlo…