This article suggests that Microsoft may be planning to build adware right into the Windows operating system. The software giant has filed a patent that would use the kinds of files you have stored on your hard drive to determine what kind of ads are displayed in your Web browser.
In other words, Microsoft plans to rummage through your files and sell the information to advertisers. It is a clever idea in concept but appalling in practice, as it basically makes Microsoft the de facto owner of your data and information. Even if the company provides an opt-in or opt-out option, it would be too easy to turn it on by mistake or forget to turn it off.
Let's hope this is one patent that will never actually become a "product."