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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"."
"Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee"
"War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength."
I miss those heady days of yore, when there was still room for more outrage in my life. When I could stil be surprised by new examples of indifference, incompetence, and outright evil.
These days, I am no longer surprised at no longer being surprised by the ghastly things this Administration routinely does.
A spyware company has a "chief privacy officer?!" What's next, a security-obssessed government that makes us less secure? Oh, wait...
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.
All I see posted are stupid remarks about how ironic this is... but nobody seems to want to do anything about it.
/. has enough people reading it to destroy the bandwidth of half the servers out there, but it looks like nobody is going to take this as a serious threat to privacy and call up their congressman or write a letter/email to major news networks, or anything else that will change things...
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.
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.
Mr. Osamma Bin Ladin is appointed the head of the homeland defence department.... I mean, who better to tell us how a terrorist thinks?
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
A former Corporate data gatherer of consumer information being appointed to "Data Privacy" Czar?
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.
Authority questions you. Return the favor.
"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!
Perfect. The person in charge of a large spyware company is in charge of network security for our nation? What is next? A promoter of torture as Attorney General?
Your Bush administration rewards loyalty to Bush. That is all. Anything else is purely secondary. An administration of sycophants, toadies and suckups. Truly, what an example to set the world and the kids of today.
Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious
Looks like they need some sort of "black sheep" in the committee. Or a dim candle around all these bright ones...
Greetings, Ice
Sig? Where I go, I don't need
Honestly i wouldn't care if all the ad-supported content left the internet.
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?
I am Sartre of the Borg. Existence is futile.
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.
That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage