Tracking software

Tracking software is software which notes and logs actions made at a computer.

For example, if a user checks his email, tracking software can make a record of the action. The same applies to chat, instant messages, Web sites visited, keystrokes typed, and so on.

Who uses tracking software?

There are four principal groups who use tracking software: parents, employers, governments, and illegal users. Parents who want to be certain their children are not involved with inappropriate web activity, and employers who decide to track activity on workstations owned or controlled by the business. Illegal tracking can be by criminals (acting on commission from other criminals, perhaps) or businesses wishing to collect usage patterns for marketing departments. Government use of tracking software or hardware is, as far as is known, largely confined to criminal investigations. In some countries, including the US, 'criminal activity' has been redefined to include surveillance of any citizen for terrorist connections or activities. Given the width of this redefinition, this is probably the largest and most comprehensive tracking activity in existence.

Other users include schools and suspicious spouses.