BonziBuddy was a desktop assistant released in 1999 that became notorious for being a form of adware and spyware, featuring a purple gorilla that talked to users. While originally intended as a helpful tool, it quickly became a symbol of early internet malware and annoying pop-ups. In modern internet culture, BonziBuddy has been reclaimed as a post-ironic meme, often appearing in YouTube Poops, creepypastas, and vaporwave-style aesthetics. It is typically used to represent unwanted surveillance, retro-tech nostalgia, or chaotic digital entities that refuse to leave your desktop.