<s>
BonziBuddy	B-Application
(	O
,	O
stylized	O
as	O
BonziBUDDY	B-Application
)	O
was	O
a	O
freeware	B-License
desktop	O
virtual	B-Protocol
assistant	I-Protocol
created	O
by	O
Joe	O
and	O
Jay	O
Bonzi	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
a	O
user	O
's	O
choice	O
,	O
it	O
would	O
share	O
jokes	O
and	O
facts	O
,	O
manage	O
downloads	O
,	O
sing	O
songs	O
,	O
and	O
talk	O
,	O
among	O
other	O
functions	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
used	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Agent	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
BonziBuddy	B-Application
was	O
described	O
as	O
spyware	O
and	O
adware	O
,	O
and	O
discontinued	O
in	O
2004	O
after	O
the	O
company	O
behind	O
it	O
faced	O
lawsuits	O
regarding	O
the	O
software	O
and	O
was	O
ordered	O
to	O
pay	O
fines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bonzi	O
's	O
website	O
remained	O
open	O
after	O
the	O
discontinuation	O
of	O
BonziBuddy	B-Application
,	O
but	O
was	O
shut	O
down	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
software	O
used	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Agent	I-Application
technology	O
similar	O
to	O
Office	B-General_Concept
Assistant	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
originally	O
sported	O
Peedy	B-Application
,	O
a	O
green	O
parrot	B-Language
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
available	O
with	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Agent	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
versions	O
of	O
BonziBuddy	B-Application
in	O
May	O
2000	O
featured	O
its	O
own	O
character	O
:	O
Bonzi	O
,	O
a	O
purple	O
gorilla	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
program	O
also	O
used	O
a	O
text-to-speech	B-Application
voice	O
to	O
interact	O
with	O
the	O
user	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
number	O
of	O
sources	O
identify	O
BonziBuddy	B-Application
as	O
spyware	O
,	O
a	O
claim	O
the	O
company	O
disputed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2002	O
,	O
an	O
article	O
in	O
Consumer	O
Reports	O
Web	O
Watch	O
labeled	O
BonziBuddy	B-Application
as	O
spyware	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
it	O
contains	O
a	O
backdoor	O
trojan	O
that	O
collects	O
information	O
from	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
activities	O
the	O
program	O
is	O
said	O
to	O
engage	O
in	O
include	O
constantly	O
resetting	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
web	B-Application
browser	I-Application
homepage	O
to	O
bonzi.com	O
without	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
permission	O
,	O
prompting	O
and	O
tracking	O
various	O
information	O
about	O
the	O
user	O
,	O
installing	O
a	O
toolbar	O
,	O
and	O
serving	O
advertisements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2007	O
,	O
PC	O
World	O
readers	O
voted	O
BonziBuddy	B-Application
the	O
sixth	O
on	O
a	O
list	O
named	O
"	O
The	O
20	O
Most	O
Annoying	O
Tech	O
Products	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
last	O
newspaper	O
articles	O
written	O
about	O
BonziBuddy	B-Application
while	O
it	O
was	O
still	O
in	O
distribution	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
spyware	O
and	O
a	O
"	O
scourge	O
of	O
the	O
Internet	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
article	O
found	O
in	O
2006	O
on	O
the	O
BusinessWeek	O
website	O
described	O
BonziBuddy	B-Application
as	O
"	O
the	O
unbelievably	O
annoying	O
spyware	O
trojan	O
horse	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
brought	O
against	O
Bonzi	B-Application
Software	I-Application
on	O
4	O
December	O
2002	O
,	O
the	O
suit	O
accused	O
Bonzi	O
of	O
using	O
its	O
banner	O
advertisements	O
to	O
deceptively	O
imitate	O
Windows	O
computer	O
alerts	O
,	O
alerting	O
the	O
user	O
that	O
their	O
IP	B-Protocol
address	I-Protocol
is	O
being	O
broadcast	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
settlement	O
,	O
Bonzi	B-Application
Software	I-Application
agreed	O
to	O
modify	O
their	O
ads	O
so	O
that	O
they	O
looked	O
less	O
like	O
Windows	O
dialog	O
boxes	O
and	O
more	O
like	O
actual	O
advertisements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
18	O
,	O
2004	O
,	O
the	O
Federal	O
Trade	O
Commission	O
released	O
a	O
statement	O
indicating	O
that	O
Bonzi	B-Application
Software	I-Application
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
was	O
ordered	O
to	O
pay	O
US$	O
75,000	O
in	O
fees	O
,	O
among	O
other	O
aspects	O
,	O
for	O
violating	O
the	O
Children	O
's	O
Online	O
Privacy	O
Protection	O
Act	O
by	O
collecting	O
personal	O
information	O
from	O
children	O
under	O
the	O
age	O
of	O
13	O
with	O
BonziBuddy	B-Application
.	O
</s>
