my problem is with using the term "spyware"

Aren't we looking at the classic slippery slope with this? At first, people claim that it isn't a problem because only one desktop function does it (and not even one which is explicitly Internet-oriented), and as more applications "dial home" as a matter of routine, people will still claim that it isn't a problem because only a minority of applications do it, and then because not all applications do it.

Ultimately, you have a free-for-all like in the smartphone "app" world where suddenly applications are uploading all sorts of things to the mothership. Even then, people will defend this sort of thing because "it's so convenient".

Integrating Internet services into applications isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if the business model of the month is all about keystrokes being remotely logged or whatever, people should be made very much aware that this is happening in advance so that they can avoid the product completely if they want. Mumbling that such behaviour can be turned off is not sufficient because most users will never be made aware of the situation in the first place.