Grayware & Data Harvesting

The boundary between aggressive monetization and spyware is not a line but a gradient. Grayware encompasses apps that are not classified as malware by most engines but engage in systematic data collection, user tracking, deceptive billing, or surveillance capabilities sold as legitimate products. AV engines flag these as PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) or riskware. For analysts, the question "is this malware?" often lands here, and the answer depends on jurisdiction, intent, and how much you trust a privacy policy written by a data broker's lawyer.