Ask.com Toolbar

The Ask.com Toolbar is a web-browser add-on that can be added to the browser's window and/or menu. It may be installed during the installation of other software, sometimes without prior notice. Ask.com has partnered with certain software security vendors, who are compensated for distributing the toolbar alongside their software. The browser extension has features that can adjust the default or custom settings of the browser, including the home page and search settings. It may also modify Internet Explorer's load time threshold, place a lock file within Firefox to prevent other software from changing its settings, and disable the browser's Content Security Policy to allow for cross site scripting. Key features of the toolbar include forwarding query information to Ask servers when submitting a search, changing the default search engine in the browser's built-in search box, setting the default home page of the browser, providing alternative "page not found" functionality, enabling search from the browser's address bar, and facilitating software updates when a new version is released.