For the last two weeks, Microsoft has been in talks to buy a private Silicon Valley company, a move that underscores just how eager Microsoft is to catch up with Google, the search and advertising
giant. The company that Microsoft has pursued is controversial: Claria, an adware marketer formerly called Gator, and best known for its pop-up ads and software that tracks people visiting Web sites.
The Gator adware has frequently been denounced by privacy advocates for its intrusiveness.
Read the whole story at The New York Times, June 30, 2005 »
