Microsoft is reportedly close to finalizing a deal to buy Claria, the company best known for its Gator adware software. Though Claria has been working to expand its business beyond adware to personalization and customization tools — which apparently are at the core of Microsoft's potential bid — the company is still best known for its somewhat questionable practices when it comes to privacy. According to reports, the deal is hitting opposition within Microsoft, with some employees worrying that it will make the company seem like a malevolent giant, bent on collecting private data from its customers and exploiting it at will. Hey, lighten up guys. Microsoft doesn't need to buy Claria to convince anyone of that.