If you’re a Millennial, there’s a good chance you remember the excitement of having a computer in your home. You might also remember the good old days of installing software like BonziBuddy – a purple cartoon gorilla that promised to be your very own personal assistant.

Now, for the Boomers and whatever came after the Millennials, BonziBuddy was a piece of software that promised to help you with all sorts of tasks. Searching the web, sending emails, and even telling jokes was made easier with your new buddy. It was like having your very own turn-of-the-millenium Siri, but with the added bonus of being a cute and cuddly cartoon gorilla.

But, here’s the catch. What many people didn’t realize at the time was that Bonzi Buddy was actually spyware. Yes, you read that right. This lovable cartoon gorilla was tracking your every move online and serving you ads based on your browsing history. BonziBuddy knew what you were doing online and he was judging you.

Despite its nefarious intentions, many millennials look back fondly on their time with Bonzi Buddy as a nostalgic reminder of the early days of the internet. It’s like having a piece of your childhood come back to life. You can’t help but feel a twinge of excitement at the thought of seeing that purple gorilla pop up on your computer screen.

So, why did so many of us fall for the trickery of Bonzi Buddy? Well, for starters, it was free. And who doesn’t love a good freebie? Plus, if you ignored its horrible digitized voice, it was cute and friendly, which made it all the more appealing. And let’s face it, we were all just naive kids back then who didn’t fully understand the dangers of the internet.

Looking back now, it’s easy to see how we were all duped by the cute and cuddly Bonzi Buddy. But hey, you live and you learn, right? Let’s relive our childhood by taking a deeper look into Bonzi Buddy and how it tricked an entire generation of children.