Gator CPO at the Department of Homeland Security

pcidevel writes "D. Reed Freeman, the "Chief Privacy Officer" of Claria Networks (formerly Gator), the creators of the pervasive spyware package GAIN, has been appointed to the Department of Homeland Security's "Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee"."

EULA

[xsee]

Really. Spyware? You dont read ALL the license agreement?

The Onion

[Anonymous Coward]

Jeez, with a headline like that I thought I was on the Onion for a second there...

In other news

[techsoldaten]

In other news, Dr. Jack Kevorkian has been appointed National Director of Health and Human Services, Kenneth Lay was appointed Director of the Treasury and Bill Gates was appointed CIO of the whole Federal Government.

M

what a joke!

[grimholtz]

Ex-GAIN employees in the "Integrity Advisory Committee"??? That's like Richard Stallman working for the Patent Office!

In other news...

[EEBaum]

Governor of New Jersey to head Environmental Protection Agency

Oh, wait...

Re:First Post

[rd4tech]

no, there are some times when you want things done righ the first time, like an surgeon operating, or food testing, or sex...

First Paris Hilton gets hacked and now THIS?

[ABeowulfCluster]

I will NEVER trust my computer to keep anything safe. I can see homeland security buying Google just to do data mining.

It's official now.

[Tethys_was_taken]

All your base are belong to Claria.

Re:what a joke!

[luvirini]

Good idea, we need to start a campaign to get him appointed as Commissioner for Patents in USPTO.

Re:In other news

[deglr6328]

*POP* "Did you know your country might be infected with TERRORISTS? You can help to protect your country by downloading policestate V2.0 from GovSoft today! Click here now!"

Huh?

[Loonacy]

April Fool's isn't for a few more weeks. The ed's need to check their calendars.

This is a good fit

[grozzie2]

I dont see why you folks are surprised, this is a very good fit. DOHS wants to gather up and categorize the data on every person in the USA. They have hired an expert in the field. It'll probably take a few months to get this new program rolling, but it's a pretty good bet, if you visit a .gov website in the near future, you are going to see the pop up asking you to accept installation of an activeX. That is, until they get microsoft to ship out the update telling all windows the world over that .gov websites are trusted, and dont bother pestering computer owners with warnings about such things on .gov sites.

Mr freeman probably thinks he's arrived in heaven. he gets to keep on doing what he's best at, the spyware business, but this time it's for the government, so no more hassles from all those pathetic anti-spyware whiners.

In other news...

[AmoHongos]

Bonzi Buddy is soon to be carved into Mt. Rushmore.

What they're not mentioing...

[Hamster Lover]

is the mandate of "Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee" is keeping this information from the public, not protecting the public's information.

Re:In other news

[britneys 9th husband]

Mike Tyson will be the president of NOW, David Duke will be president of the NAACP, P&G/Gillette have hired the Slashdot editorial staff as consultants to help them eliminate redundancies, and after his term in office is up, George W. Bush will become president of Mensa.

Re:uh..

[Vo0k]

Yeah, uh...

My suggestions:
Hannibal Lecter for the national food and agriculture comission.
Osama Bin Laden for air transport dept.
Saddam Hussein for human rights jury.
Michael Jackson for child abuse prevention network CEO.
And of course Bill Gates for president of ISO.

Can someone post his personal info?

[Anonymous Coward]

...since he already knows where WE live.

Re:do something about it...

[bigberk]

All I see posted are stupid remarks about how ironic this is... but nobody seems to want to do anything about it.

Sorry man, I'm Canadian and this one is your problem. Trust me, it looks ten times as ironic from this side of the border. (waves) hi!

HOW DARE THEY DUB THEE SPYWARE!

[aleatory_story]

"...even though the original Gator software can be considered one of the original plague carriers of the spyware blight -- be careful about calling it that. The company has repeatedly threatened its critics with libel lawsuits for dubbing it "spyware.""

Of course Gator isn't "spyware!!!" It is a perfectly fine way of business. Excuse me, I'm off to break into homes, hide, and pop up out of nowhere to sell viagra and insurance. Maybe I'll bug some phones for marketing information while I'm there.

Re:There's No Bottom

[Anonymous Coward]

Are there any bushies out there who can defend this and tell me why I shouldn't be having a fit?

Well, the reasons are very complicated. First of all it is a good strategy because -

Hey look over there, gays undermining the biblical foundation of marriage!

Re:First Post

[blowdart]

Homeland Security Launches Privacy Integration Initiative

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: Donald Tighe, 202-282-8010
February 24, 2005

The Department of Homeland Security today announced new software to enable citizens to protect their personal data. The software, provided by a committe member's company, will enable personal information security by centralised all your information, including browsing habits, emails, credit card numbers, documents, spreadsheets and those jpgs of your ex you keep meaning to put on flashyourrack in one central location.

The software will also protect you from those mean advertisers who advertise things you shouldn't see like cheap generic drugs, stores other than Walmart and communist computer operating systems by replacing those ads with good old american advertising, including links to your local church Landover Baptist.

Installation of this protection software will become mandatory under the new CAN-PRIVACY act introduced by big business^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hyour benevolant rulers.

Its all perfectly clear.

[PopeAlien]

Why it makes perfect sense.

its all done for your own good! for freedom! [popealien.com]

actual freedom may not be exactly as shown. privacy not included.

this is your lifez

[Anonymous Coward]

but you will be secure with the gouvernment in every machine on the planet as long as you agree to said gouvernment's policies and the next one that will follow it.

Re:Always one 'tard in the crowd...

[rainman_bc]

Actually, let's get technical. It's one fox, along with a team of hens guarding the henhouse.

Re:uh..

[mrjb]

...And George W. Bush for president of the USA.

Re:Rewarding incompetence, as usual

[Anonymous Coward]

What about the removal of a dangerous man from power

I thought he was reelected?

Re:uh..

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, great comeback. You sure showed him!

Re:In other news

[identity0]

But at least our new Homeland Security chief, Mr. Bin Laden, seems to know a lot about terrorism. He and the new Central Intelligence Agency director, Jenna Bush, might really win the War on Terror! White House Press Secretary Michael Moore said so, it must be true!

I only hope that our new Drug Czar and DEA director, Mr. Cheech and Mr. Chong, will be as successful in their fight against those scummy potheads.

Re:do something about it...

[BlueHands]

I see that the cold of the north is only exceded by the coldness in your soul. Wanna come work for our goverment?

Re:Nuala O'Connor Kelly?

[hkmwbz]

You know, people get kidnapped and beheaded in Iraq.

Not that I'm suggesting, insinuating or supporting anything, of course.

In the news today ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Paris Hilton appointed on the "Departement to revise Sexual Education". From the words of Clarissa Biggot, "Paris is well known for it's commitment to keep her body a sanctuary that no-one but her beloved (and caring) husband might see. We are sure she will be able to transmit her beliefs to the young americans".

Re:CNET News.com

[Anonymous Coward]

/. doesn't run on magic, they have ads...and even an optional subscription service. i registered to post here....and so did you.

Your right, it runs on goat.. never mind..

Re:DON'T SHUT UP!!!

[Colonel Cholling]

Note to Mods: NOT A FLAME, NOT A TROLL!!!!!!

Mod1: Hey Phil, you see that post from the guy telling Americans to rise up?
Mod2: Yeah, I was just about to mark it "Flamebait."
Mod1: And I was gonna mark it "Troll." But check it out: it says "Note to Mods: NOT A FLAME, NOT A TROLL!!!!!!"
Mod2: Yeah, in all caps.
Mod1: And with no less than six exclamation points.
Mod2: And when you've been on the internets as long as we have, you know that anyone who uses all caps and multiple exclamation points just has to be sincere.
Mod1: You certainly do, Phil.
Mod2: I'm marking this one "Informative."
Mod1: And I'm marking it "Insightful."
Mod2: It's a good thing he told us how to moderate his own post, or we could have made a huge mistake.
Mod1: You're certainly right about that, Phil.
Mod2: I think I'll start using heroin.
Mod1: Courtney Love said it makes you cool and moody.
Mod2: She certainly did. (Dies of overdose.)

Re:In other news

[TGK]

Shouldn't I have to punch a monkey or something first?

Re:CNET News.com

[daremonai]

Being subjected to ads and having them hit your eyeballs is a form of payment.

You pay for Slashdot.

No, actually, you pay for it. (I never see any ads.) Oh, and thanks!

Re:And people wonder why...

[jhalme]

And people wonder why HST blew his brains out.

What? I thought Mike broke the Hubble?

Punch a Monkey

[nlinecomputers]

No the Secret Service will stop you if you try that.

As if we didn't need any more proof....

[big-giant-head]

That George W is an Anti-Christ....

not THE anti-christ, but a forerunner, kind of a prototype.

Re:CNET News.com

[Anonymous Coward]

please look up at the top of your browser window and tell me what you see?

nothing [mozdev.org]