Avery Toolbar

The Avery Toolbar, developed by ASK, is a browser extension that can be added as an additional bar to the browser window and/or menu. It is frequently included (sometimes without notice) during the installation of other software. The Ask Toolbar and other applications are increasingly being bundled with programs, particularly freeware. It is commonly installed as part of a program installation, and many users may overlook the option to uncheck the Ask Toolbar during the process. Ask.com has formed partnerships with certain software security vendors, through which they are compensated to distribute the toolbar alongside their software. When using the Toolbar to input a query, the Toolbar transmits this query information to Ask servers. Ask.com uses this information to process web search requests and provide search results to the user. During installation, users are typically given the option to modify the home and search pages, though this is often pre-selected and goes unnoticed. If the software is removed from the user's computer, the settings will need to be manually reverted.