BonziBUDDY

BonziBUDDY: Virtual Assistant Software

BonziBUDDY was a virtual assistant software released in 1999, featuring an animated purple gorilla that provided help, searched the internet, and interacted with users, but sparked controversy over its intrusiveness and data collection.

What is BonziBUDDY?

BonziBUDDY was a virtual assistant software application released in 1999 by Joe and Jay Bonzi. The main feature was an animated purple gorilla named Bonzi that would appear on the user's Windows desktop and provide various assistants and services.

Some of BonziBUDDY's features included the ability to search the internet, read emailed messages aloud, tell jokes, provide advice, and interact conversationally with the user. It was designed to be fun and entertaining while also helping the user get things done on their computer.

Behind the scenes, BonziBUDDY collected data about websites visited and other user activity. This, combined with the software's intrusive and annoying nature of taking over the desktop with animations and unrequested speech, caused it to be regarded by many as malware or adware rather than a legitimate virtual assistant.

At its peak popularity in 2001, BonziBUDDY was installed on millions of computers around the world. However, many users found it irritating and it developed a very poor reputation. It was widely reviled in technology circles and security experts characterized it as a privacy threat.

Bonzi Software, the creator of BonziBUDDY, was sued in 2004 by the Federal Trade Commission over allegations of deceptive practices related to data collection and marketing tactics. This essentially marked the end of BonziBUDDY, which ceased operations in 2008 after years of declining usage due to its negative reputation.

BonziBUDDY Features

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