Executive of Spyware Company Appointed to Privacy Board

[Chairman Meow]

An executive from Claria, formerly called Gator, will be one of 20 members of the committee, the department said Wednesday.

"This committee will provide the department with important recommendations on how to further the department's mission while protecting the privacy of personally identifiable information of citizens and visitors of the United States," Nuala O'Connor Kelly, the department's chief privacy officer, said in a statement.

Claria bundles its pop-up advertising software with ad-supported networks such as Kazaa. Recently, the privately held company has been trying to seek credibility by following stricter privacy guidelines and offering behavioral profiling services to its partners.
In an e-mail message to CNET News.com, Kelly defended the inclusion of a Claria representative on the committee. "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.

A couple articles on the subject (the quote is from the first one). I'm not sure what the "good fight" that Ms. Kelly refers to is, but if it has anything to do with Gator... I'm reminded of the old saying about the fox guarding the henhouse. I don't see anything good that can come from the inclusion of Gator/Claria/Whatever-they're-called-this-week in an advisory board that is supposed to be protecting people's privacy.

 

[MarineCorps]

What the hell? Is there something wrong with their heads?

 

[rbis4rbb]

Thats that weak stuff that popups up unwanted on the bottom right of your screen.

 

[ummmm........]

The only thing I can think of is they must be trying to get input from all sides.