The events of this tale date all the way back to the mid 1990s, particularly during the prominence of Windows 95. But how was such a strange program able to do all of this? What is the story that gave BonziBuddy the legacy that it has today? BonziBuddy was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, or…purple gorilla clothing. It was designed to assist users during a time where mass-use and understanding of the internet was quite new, but in reality, the program was collecting user data for advertising purposes as well as contaminating Windows with irritating features and misleading system information. Just like many pieces of malware and internet spyware, the software attracted many people with its seemingly useful features, with all its malevolent doings hidden within. Innocent looking enough, but what you probably didn’t know was that this cute virtual assistant was, at one point, responsible for more than $1 billion in punitive damages, but how? It was in 1999 when the internet became home to this new computer program: BonziBuddy.

Some of you might remember using the Apple IIc or watching Flash Animations, but I am sure that, for some of you watching this, your earliest memories are of this little guy (SHOW). It was created by Bonzi Software, a company that was once one of the most visited sites on the web but, through subsequent events, ended up meeting its massive downfall.ĭepending on your age, your earliest memories of using a computer probably vary. BonziBuddy (or Bonzi Buddy) was a piece of internet spyware masquerading as a virtual assistant.

We are number one bonzi buddy