Gator CPO at the Department of Homeland Security 846
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"."
Hmm... I've an analogy for this... (Score:5, Insightful)
Honestly... DHS doesn't need to be worrying about this sort of tripe- they've got bigger fish to fry. Why in the HELL are they bothering with this when the things they're doing right at the moment wouldn't have done a damn thing to prevent 9/11 from occuring and wouldn't prevent a repeat?
Makes sense (in a sick sort of way) (Score:4, Insightful)
talk about oxymoron (Score:5, Insightful)
"War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength."
Re:First Post (Score:2, Insightful)
This almost seems like a good idea.
There's No Bottom (Score:5, Insightful)
These days, I am no longer surprised at no longer being surprised by the ghastly things this Administration routinely does.
Claria has a Chief Privacy Officer? (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually, "Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee" sounds much more like Ministry of Truth.
Only in America (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously, though, I can almost see the logic in this appointment. One thing spyware companies know is computer security. They defeat it all the time. I'm surprised the fine folks from Cool Web Search weren't appointed.
On the other hand, the more cynical side of me sees how reminiscent this is of early 20th century American politics, when the government appointed Big Business leaders to commitees on workers' rights. Money and connections will buy you anything.
do something about it... (Score:5, Insightful)
It's a sad day seeing this article exist, but it will be an even sadder day when 90% of these comments are scored "Funny" and we are doomed to sit idly by our world is taken away from us... thanks guys, i appreciate it.
Rewarding incompetence, as usual (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:The Onion (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Tell me this is a joke (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:First Post (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Makes sense (in a sick sort of way) (Score:5, Insightful)
On the other hand, the people who go into the field of marketing have one well defined goal: to manipulate and deceive consumers for profit. I have studied alongside these people when I made the huge mistake of wanting to take some marketing courses. The ideas I learned and people I met literally made me sick to my stomach.
I do not know a single marketing person who is in it for academic interest -- those people tend to be psychologists. Marketers are business oriented and highly profit motivated to the extent where everything else (privacy, ethics, environment, culture) take back seat. These people sell their souls in pursuit of money.
You might think I'm exaggerating. But look at the specific people in question. Who works at DoubleClick or Gator, unless they have a genuine professional interest in the wide reaching manipulation of the public for profit sake? I really have zero confidence in these people's s ability to make an honest, well meaning effort towards the rights and privacy of consumers and citizens.
Re:There's No Bottom (Score:3, Insightful)
I couldn't make up a story this ridiculous, yet it's true. Go world, go.
Re:First Post (Score:5, Insightful)
Claria Corporation, www.claria.com, today announced that D. Reed Freeman, Jr. will assume the position of Chief Privacy Officer and Vice President of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs for the company. Mr. Freeman, a partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm Collier Shannon Scott, PLLC, will spearhead Claria's continued commitment to industry-leading online advertising privacy practices. He will also represent Claria's interests both in Washington and internationally, coordinating Claria's efforts on policy matters.
In other words, he's a lobbyist. He knows fuck all about the inner workings of spyware software, and this isn't at all analogous to hiring an ex-hacker to evaluate your security.
Re:Tell me this is a joke (Score:3, Insightful)
and in other news (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:do something about it... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:uh.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Why, that would be like appointing a Torture Advocate to Attorney General...oh wait...Alberto Gonazales
That would be iike appointing a person that misadvised a Nation to start a war that broke down International Relations to a postion that requires her to Strengthen International Relations...oh wait...Condeleeza Rice
That would be like having a former CEO of company that derives it's revenue from war be elected to a political office that can Strongly influence War Power making decisions...oh wait...Dick Cheney
To answer your question, no they aren't shitting you. They are shitting ON you. All of us, actually.
RMS might be helpful (Score:5, Insightful)
Unfortunately, I think quite a lot of patent applications cover ideas that any expert can think of in three hours but were never used before because no one apart from the applicant bothered to use them, which means they probably have no prior art. A patent examiner cannot do much more than an ordinary citizen when the problem lies in the law itself rather than its enforcement.
I'm just SOOO disgusted (Score:2, Insightful)
Talk, Write, Shout, Complain! (Score:2, Insightful)
Very stupid people are calling the shots
Re:Claria has a Chief Privacy Officer? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:do something about it... (Score:5, Insightful)
Campaign contributions mean that political representation goes to those with the most money to donate. Democracy died long ago.
Re:There's No Bottom (Score:5, Insightful)
We have oil execs writing our energy policy, privacy invaders writing our privacy laws. Drug companies writing our drug-company laws... It's absolute madness.
Are there any bushies out there who can defend this and tell me why I shouldn't be having a fit?
I get it (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Hmm... I've an analogy for this... (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm sure you'll appreciate the opportunity to abandon 'community' for 'market', once you see the incredible opportunity it affords for profits! Besides, we have already managed the deal for you!
And people wonder why... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:do something about it... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:CNET News.com (Score:4, Insightful)
Oh please grow up.
It may come as a complete shock to some people here, but some companies have to make a living somehow. And some of those companies, like Salon.com, have been struggling for quite a while and are not hyper-rich media conglomerates who can afford to not try whatever they can to make an honest living.
You do not have a God-given right to free content provided at the expense of the work of others. (And no I don't care if Salon.com didn't write the original article, they provide plenty of home brewed articles and opinion which I think are totally worth it.) Deal with it.
Re:Talk, Write, Shout, Complain! (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Rewarding incompetence, as usual (Score:1, Insightful)
Bush was re-elected having lied to his people and the world about the real reasons for Iraq, American systematic use of torture (at Guantanamo Bay) and ignoring the opinion of the rest of the world on a whole load of issues. Not to mention encouraging xenophobia and jingoism.
This administration has been rewarded for incompetence and duplicity while punishing competence and honesty.
It's a kleptocracy!! (Score:5, Insightful)
"I am proud of, supportive of and grateful for those individuals in the public and private sector who are willing to take on the hard tasks, fight the good fight, and who surprise us with creative, fresh and unconventional thinking, and who make change where change is needed through their hard work and personal dedication," Kelly said. Kelly said Freeman will "bring his courage and conviction to the board, and will contribute productively--and constructively--to the board's and the public's dialogue on privacy and homeland security."
What I find most outrageous is such talk typical of this administration to lie, and lie, and lie; So now a software that installed itself without permission, was not easy to delete, and annoyed the hell out of people is something to be praised for and proud of as testimony of "courage and conviction", "willingness to take on the hard tasks", "willingness to fight the good fight", "creative, fresh and unconventional thinking"?
What about thieves? They're pretty much the same; are we going to admire trespassers and looters?
Damn this kleptocracy; damn it!
Re:do something about it... (Score:5, Insightful)
With all the wierd shit going down, I really don't get why there hasn't been more demonstrations or even a revolution across the pond...
Re:Rewarding incompetence, as usual (Score:1, Insightful)
but Clinton shoving a cigar thing in a chubby intern is horrible and we need to attempt to impeach him.
Re:EULA (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Rewarding incompetence, as usual (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Committee member list (Score:5, Insightful)
Greetings, Ice
Re:There's No Bottom (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:There's No Bottom (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:CNET News.com (Score:3, Insightful)
It's not so bad (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:do something about it... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:uh.. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:CNET News.com (Score:2, Insightful)
Whoa there, sparky.
Since when is Slashdot free? Not since around 1998.
Being subjected to ads and having them hit your eyeballs is a form of payment. You pay for Slashdot. Say it again.
Re:There's No Bottom (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Rewarding incompetence, as usual (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:what a joke! (Score:3, Insightful)
Exactly.
That's why I can actually see the wisdom in this. While I do think it's an awful thing, I believe that no committee making these kinds of decisions should be one-sided.
The question is, what are the leanings of the other members of the committee? One post seems to imply that 'we' should be happy with them.
In other words, the fox should advise on the security of the hen-house since the alternative is the farmer having 100% control, and sometimes you're the fox!
Cheers,Noims.
Re:do something about it... (Score:4, Insightful)
Because 90% of us are mindless sheep. Doing exactly what our leader tells us.
Americans on average are the stupidest population center on this planet. We send our kids to schools that are ineffective, graduate young adults that can not read, we have a 68% return rate on our "rehabilitated criminals" and the typical american is driven into a furvor of fear and convinced that driving an unsafe huge vehicle makes us safer.
We are complete and utter MORONS. I hang my head in disgust every day at what I see my fellow americans say and do.
What makes you think that this nation of very stupid sheep that takes what is fed to them as 100% truth would have the guts and desire to rise up and force change??
we are too comfortable with our 8mpg SUV's out 2500+sq foot houses and our 300 channel cable tv telling how scary it is outside and we should stay in where it is safe.
The governemtn is protecting us, why should we question them?
I'm going to go puke....
Re:do something about it... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:CNET News.com (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:I'm just SOOO disgusted (Score:2, Insightful)
Nice troll, but it's not like the votes were shipped off to Diebold headquarters to be counted in secret by their CEO. If there was a conspiracy to defraud voters it would've never stayed secret in such a large company. Not everyone at Diebold is a conservative you know.
Re:I'm just SOOO disgusted (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:CNET News.com (Score:2, Insightful)
and /. doesn't run on magic, they have ads...and even an optional subscription service. i registered to post here....and so did you.
So let me get this straight (Score:2, Insightful)
Dare to be a doubting bastard (Score:3, Insightful)
At the very least, stand up and make them spend a little more money and work a little harder. Don't whine, find a way to stick a thumb in their eye when they're leading you to the gallows.
The great thing about money is that it gets fast results. But it is not invincible. Sometimes, the people will just stop believing. It may take time, but, the opinion manufacturers know it will take much longer if they can expunge the kernels of doubt from the population -- kernels around which opposition can crystalize.
We, few, we band of brothers. If you're the kind of person who is daydreaming about running to Canada, I don't want you on my side in this fight.
Re:CNET News.com (Score:5, Insightful)
Would the author of this post, and everyone who modded him "Interesting," please look up at the top of your browser window and tell me what you see?
We already have a system for preventing 911 (Score:1, Insightful)
However, on the morning of sept 11 2001, NORAD was given orders to stand down for some sort of "military excercises" which is unprecedented.
Strange coincidence wouldnt you say?
Re:talk about oxymoron (Score:3, Insightful)
But That is awefully surprising from such a 'spiritual' administration. I would think they would value what is in someones heart over what is in his head. If he means bad, he will figure out a way to do bad. It does not matter what job you put him in...
Re:CNET News.com (Score:2, Insightful)
Maybe 5 years ago, there was some reliability. Now I see people putting in "a" or "b" into address lines, choosing the first dropdown, any old date for DOB.
If companies just want an email address for a newsletter, and offer people the option to put details in, the reliability is likely to go up. Some people will just go ahead and put it in.
Re:Hmm... I've an analogy for this... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:CNET News.com (Score:3, Insightful)
But they do have the right to not be your slaves. If they produce something, and set the terms by which they're willing to let you use it, they do have the right to expect you to honor those terms. If you think the content is important enough, you'll respect them. If you won't respect them, then hopefully you have enough personal integrity to not steal the content.
No one has a right to profit. They have the right to earn (or pursue the earning of) that profit. If what they have to sell (subscriptions, ad-space on their web sites, whatever) isn't interesting enough to generate a profit, then so be it: they've failed.
I'm always puzzled, though, by the people who claim to respect the source of information enough to want to consume it, but don't have the same respect for the source's wishes about how they're offering it. It's like saying you love a particular chef's cooking, and sit down to eat his meal, and they say (when you're done) that there's just this one little thing you don't like about the chef: that he only prepared you that meal because of an expectation that he'd be paid for his time, efforts, and overhead. He has no "right" to a profit in his career as a chef, only the right to expect you to hold up your end of the transaction when you choose to do business with him. Same goes for authors, musicians, and film makers. Don't like the deal? Then don't participate. Love someone's work but not their terms? Then admit that you don't really love that peron's work (because part of their work is the mechanism by which they make a living - that's a choice they've made, and it's part of their effort).
Re:and in other news (Score:5, Insightful)
I disagree. They just haven't been shut down yet.
To wit: Let's say I call up a particularly dim secretary at IBM. I claim to be with a consulting firm, and need access to certain files. This person gives me the password to his or her boss' account. I log in and copy everything I can get my hands on.
When tried, I explain that I had permission from a company representative to take those files. This would probably not go over well.
Claria uses similar tactics, taking advantage of stupid people by making vague statements, in order to gain access to private information. In my mind, there's little difference. EULAs require a greater level of literacy than many computer users possess; taking advantage of this fact is, in my opinion, not a legal method of doing business.
Re:The Onion (Score:4, Insightful)
While I agree that the appointment is disturbing, it doesn't mean that the government is going to install spyware onto every machine and start doing as they see fit. How many of you use some technology (Norton, AdBlock) to limit the amount of advertisements and popups you receive during the day? How many people do you think sniff the traffic coming off of their machine and make sure it's all as expected?
The instant that something appears on your PC someone else will know about it and there will be an endless number of FAQs on how to make it benign.
Remember that we're in the US, but PCs are global. You may find yourself feeling grateful to the hacker/cracker/crypto community at large for the work they'll be doing in the future to protect your privacy.
Re:Rewarding incompetence, as usual (Score:5, Insightful)
Regardless of his motives you can let the results speak for themselves. We've spent 300 billion on a war they told us would cost 50 billion at the most, supposedly for WMD's but there weren't any. And we're still sinking 4 billion a month into that hole with no end in sight. The No Child Left Behind act was based on the Houston Miracle, which later turned out to be faked data. Since Bush took office we've seen our government go into massive debt, seen more American jobs shipped overseas than any other time in the history of the country, we've watched our personal liberties and freedoms disappear and watched our relationship with foreign allies and our position in the world deteriorate.
For those who claim the mantel of Christianity this administration certainly has no love of the truth. They lie because they're being true to their character when they do so.
Perhaps it's you who should think about re-examining your committment to the truth.
didn't you get the memo? (Score:4, Insightful)
Seriously, this country is so fucked. There are so many people, mostly pretty extreme religious folk, who listen to anything Bush says as long as he sprinkles his speaches with the words "God," "Faith," etc. Oh, and don't forget, "crusade!"
It doesn't matter that he's lied. It doesn't matter that the VP's former company is given illegal no-bid contracts. It doesn't matter that the new AG is a supports the use of torture. There is nothing they can do that is evil enough to make the religious right turn away.
Death of the anti-spyware laws (Score:3, Insightful)
Now I understand what the government meant by increasing the data they gather.
Linux probably WILL become illegal soon, as it's very nature means you could remove the government back doors if you wanted to.
I'm not sure The Shrub could have come up with a more effective way of announcing what he thinks of privacy concerns without installing two way TV sets in every home and declaring himself the be our big brother.
Crap.
Time to move to Canada.
The question then is... (Score:1, Insightful)
I recently read that most congressmen consider one letter from a constituent to represent 1000 opinions from their district.
Guess how many congressmen probably read Slashdot...
Re:CNET News.com (Score:5, Insightful)
Thank you to you and all the other clever people who bragged about your ad-blocking software. Please remember that the poster I quoted said he "wouldn't care if all the ad-supported content left the internet." The mere fact that there are ads there for your oh-so-marvelous Firefox to block means that Slashdot is, in fact, "ad-supported content." Hence the poster, and those who agreed with him, wouldn't mind if Slashdot disappeared. But they like it enough to read it and post here.
Re:And people wonder why... (Score:3, Insightful)
Today's real headlines are better than anything HST or Onion can possibly come up with. He achieved his life's work: when the going got weird, the weird turned pro.
Look for the upcoming Dan Goldin autobiography HUBBLE: Fear and Loathing in Low Earth Orbit, coming soon.
Re:Only in America (Score:4, Insightful)
Reference the rhetoric from great Britain this week. They are in the run up to an election and Blair is fighting for his life. Blair apparently took some pages out of the Bush play book and it makes it so transparent when you see another government doing exactly the same thing the Republican's just did, stoke massive fear right before an election to win reelection.
- Tony Blair quotes: "Nothing must stand in the way of protecting the security of our people."
- They are trying to ram through yet another variant of the Patriot act "The Bill introduces "control orders" which will enable the Home Secretary to stop terror suspects travelling or using phones and the internet - without the need for a trial.". It may allow indefinite home detention of anyone the Home Secretary unilaterally decides is a threat to security.
- Before the House of Commons Blair said: Britain was facing "terrorism without limit" and "those considerations of national security have to come before civil liberties however important they are".
The cynics in the crowd suspect Blair's party is doing the same thing the Republican's did with he Patriot act to the Dems, they have to vote for it no matter how onerous it is or Blair's party will accuse them of being soft on terrorism. So either the party in power gets sweeping new powers or they make their opponents look weak and take a potential bath in the election.
Its amazing this works because me, given a clear choice, I'd vote for the party protecting my civil liberties over ineffective security laws.
Homeland Security goes Spying? (Score:2, Insightful)
Governments should avoid the appearance of COI. (Score:2, Insightful)
In a properly run government, even the appearance of conflict of interest would be avoided.
Re:This is NOT funny... (Score:4, Insightful)
The Ukraine?
I have news for you. The Ukraine election was rigged by the US to put its puppet in charge to further its goals of forcing Russia and China back into a Cold War with the US.
No, I'm not joking. Read up on the Ukrainian challenger and who his supporters were and their connections to the US and Russian oligarchs.
There is NOTHING US citizens can do about the US government - unless they're prepared to pick up a gun - which they're not because they're too brainwashed and submissive after two centuries of bullshit about "American democracy". The state is the state and this is the way all states behave.
You want to do something about it. Advance the rate of technological progress - especially nanotech - so I can obtain the tools I need to provide a Final Solution to these morons.
Re:The true nature of our problem (Score:3, Insightful)
Instant run-off [fairvote.org] voting, on the other hand, might instantly cure the worst of what ails our system. The two-party duopoly is the source of almost all things bad, and, together with winner-take-all electoral votes, it guarantees that no 3rd party will ever win the Presidency. IRV turns the system on its head by eliminating the fear of "throwing away your vote". It would break the duopoly, and make the system much more fluid again. And since voting rules are defined state-by-state, there's at least a snowball's chance in hell [irvwa.org] of getting a few states to try it.
Re:Nice Troll (Score:3, Insightful)
You can't assume that. There are many valid, non-evil reasons companies really want demographic information. They want to know their customer base so they know how to design their web site and products to best tailor their customers. Sure, some companies are slimy about it, and that sucks. But any company that expects to survive wants to know their customers as much as possible.
approve of a business model that is based upon supplying personal information to spammers, mass-marketers and other spies.
That's an invalid assumption. Understandable, since unfortunately it happens, but that's not always true. Not all marketing is Evil. Not all ads are Evil.
To summarise: I don't like registration screens, I am never going to like registration screens, and I shall continue to publicly disapprove of them as I see fit. Maybe you should learn to deal with it.
No problems here. I'm not saying you have to like it; heck I'm not crazy about it either, and believe me, I hate the over-marketization of our society. All I'm saying is that it's not necessarily evil, and any knee-jerk reaction that all ads/registration/marketing are Evil is naive.
Re:CNET News.com (Score:3, Insightful)
OK. Just as long as your moral compass doesn't make you feel comfortable making me do things against my will, we'll get along fine.
I do not feel obligated to abide by laws set down by Gods or men --- especially laws I had no part in creating. Wherein lies their authority?
So we should re-invent the Constitution or our legal framework every time someone is born? No: we use the Constitution's built-in flexibility to allow us to adapt it if need be, but we honor the basic concepts of liberty regardless. That concept doesn't require continual re-invention, and is pretty damn universal. There's no need to ask "by what authority" here... the whole point is derive laws from the fundamental foundation of liberty and reason. Not all legal constructs are as well grounded that way as they should be, obviously, but just because the larger picture came into being before you were born and didn't get your initial blessing doesn't mean that the rest of us should have to worry that you're a loose canon without any thought towards civilized behavior. It isn't just the we-all-agree-we-can't-just-kill-anyone shared principle, here... it's the practical use of the knowledge that most people around you are thinking the same thing.
The "Rule of Law" as a social contract to keep us from killing one another is one I'm willing to agree to. However, when it is used as a tool by a privileged few to concentrate financial and military power, I am no longer bound by it.
Meaning, you reserve the right to kill rich people just because they're rich? Or, you think that rich people have somehow gained the legal right to kill you? If what you mean is that OJ Simpson got away with murder because he had more expensive lawyers than you or I could afford, well, that's not much of a reason to say that therefore laws don't apply to you, and what the heck, I might as well pirate DVDs.
Re:do something about it... (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm thinking he is referring more towards "common sense", "ignorance", "critical thinking", and such things that are critical, but often downplayed compared to intelligence.
I mean, people can have an above-average IQ, but still be completely bigoted and racist. Some people might call such a person "stupid". Some criminals have above average IQs, but if they're caught, someone will inevitably call him "stupid".
I know there are people with above average IQs that have political (or other) opinions based solely on what they hear on a single TV station, without any critical thought, or from a misguided friend. I would personally call that "stupid", but it doesn't mean that they literally have a low IQ.