MySpace Inks Deal to Share Members' Profile Info With Other Websites

Advertising

MySpace announced today it will let members share profile data with other websites, including Yahoo, eBay and Twitter. Its Data Portability initiative will allow MySpace to no longer operate as an “autonomous island.”

Digital Journal — MySpace is looking to gets its name — and its members’ profiles — all over the Web. Today, the social networking leader unveiled its Data Portability plan, which allows users to optionally share their profile data with participating sites, including Yahoo, eBay, Twitter and Photobucket.

The technology allows MySpace members to share info with partner websites. That data can include profile data, MySpace photos and videos, and friends networks. The integration of this data portability project will roll out globally in the coming weeks.

“We’re hoping to create a significantly more social experience across the Web,” said MySpace CEO and co-founder Chris DeWolfe in a media conference call. “We believe that your online social profile becomes your Internet address.”

DeWolfe added: “Today, MySpace no longer operates as an autonomous island.”

How does it work? Let’s say you sign up for a new account at Twitter. When you register, you won’t have to type in all the basic profile data Twitter requires. Instead, you click a single button and the Twitter profile is augmented with information from your MySpace profile, everything from name and email address to favourite music and movies. Essentially, your Twitter profile is powered by your MySpace data.

And this synchronizing occurs across other high-traffic websites. eBay profiles can be enhanced with your MySpace bio, interests, pics and videos. As the press release stated:

In a socially driven marketplace, this will yield a deeper connection between individuals. When browsing or transacting on eBay, the availability of external social information can help users make good decisions quickly about whom they can do business with, and perhaps even make a new friend.

Amit Kapur, COO of MySpace, told reporters users have control over what they want to share. Also, if a MySpace field is changed — for example, you no longer list American Idol as your fave TV show – that change will also reflect on the widgets embedded on other sites, such as Yahoo. Kapur said the advantages not only appeals to MySpace members but also to developers at these sites. She said, “By enabling this sharing of content and data, other websites can create deeper levels of social engagements on their sites.”

For now, only the four launch partners will have access to the Data Portability technology but MySpace said the initiative will be available to any website that wants to take part, from Facebook (yes, DeWolfe said his competitor could jump on board if they wished) to “mom and pop” sites.

“We want to create a more collaborative Web,” DeWolfe said for the third time in the conference call. “We want to make the Web experience more participatory for everyone.”