Quote - Google would not be a billion dollar Ad Serving business if they were pushing spyware onto people's computers.

If you have any other questions please let me know. :)

• Jason

Firstly, spyware wasn't mentioned in the OP. Tracking cookies were. Perhaps I could encourage you to read this link:

http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=guidelines.cs&answer=100744

from which the relevant section is:

"Google uses the DoubleClick DART cookie in its Google Content Network advertising services to help you serve and manage ads across the web"

And if you go to the link in that quote, you see this:

"DoubleClick uses Web beacons in connection with its products and services, including ad serving and paid search listings (“DART Search”)."

Google ads are privacy-invaders, beyond doubt. Oh, and the other point of interest from that first link above is this:

"If you are an AdWords advertiser that uses AdWords conversion tracking or DoubleClick's conversion tracking products, or that participates in interest based advertising, you must post and abide by a privacy policy that discloses that third parties may be placing and reading cookies on your users' browser, or using web beacons to collect information on your pages. "

Interestingly, I can't find a privacy policy here, though I'm sure there must be one. If so, does it include such a statement?

Having said all that, the best answer is to use AdBlock, which stops these ads cold.

Steve