Gator boss on DoHS committee
p2pnet.net News:- Sorta like hiring thieves to guard the crown jewels?
That was the thought in an email we had from Matt Bader. It pointed out that one of the appointees to the US Department of Homeland Security’s 20 member Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee is none other than one D. Reed Freeman.
His name may be familiar. If it is, but you can’t quite place it, think Gator as in the Gator Advertising Information Network which, as Bader says, is, "sadly familiar to many frustrated Web surfers who’ve been surprised to discover it mysteriously installed on their desktops serving them extra helpings of ads".
Back when Gator was still Gator, it was called one of the two worst spyware applications on the Net and as a CNET News emphasised:
“A group of publishers this week sued the Gator online advertising network in a bid to bar the company from serving pop-up ads on their Web sites without their permission. The suit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria, Va. The Washington Post, The New York Times, Dow Jones and seven other publishers allege that Gator’s ads violate their copyrights and steal revenue.
“Redwood City, Calif.-based Gator is ‘essentially a parasite on the Web that free rides on the hard work and the investments of plaintiffs and other Web site owners,’ according to the filing. ‘In short, Gator sells advertising space on the plaintiffs’ Web sites without (their) authorization and pockets the profits from such sales’."
These days it’s better known as the Claria Corporation, "a leader in online behavioral marketing," as it states proudly on its home page.
The Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee’s, "primary objective is to advise the Secretary and the Chief Privacy Officer of Department of Homeland Security on issues that affect privacy of personally identifiable information of citizens and guests of the United States in DHS programs," says Claria.
"As an appointed member, Freeman will leverage his privacy expertise to advise the DHS Secretary and Chief Privacy Officer on programmatic, policy, operations and technological issues that affect the department’s privacy, data integrity and data interoperability programs."
Only in America.
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See:-
two worst - "See ya later alli-gator", The Official Gator Spyware Page
parasite on the Web – Publishers sue Gator over pop-ups, CNET News, June 27, 2002
February 26th, 2005 at 1:16 am
love the graphic!! that’s hilarious
February 26th, 2005 at 1:26 am
The real irony is that D. Reed Freeman is Claria’s (or Gator’s if you would perfer) ex-CPO (Chief PRIVACY Officer). You can cut the irony with a butter knife now.
February 27th, 2005 at 3:38 am
Indeed many of the politically well-connected get appointed to top positions in departments whose mission was supposed to be to guard the nation against the very sort of people who now get appointed to run them.
http://www.susanives.com/columns/may3103.html