The "==" operator is used in programming to compare two values for equality. When you use "==", the computer checks if the values on both sides are the same. If they are equal, the result is true; if not, the result is false. This operator is commonly found in many programming languages, such as Python, Java, and JavaScript. It's important to note that "==" checks for value equality but does not consider the type of the values. For example, in some languages, the string "5" and the number 5 may be considered equal when using "==". To check for both value and type equality, the "===" operator is often used in languages like JavaScript.