The application was already in hand, but the Department of Homeland Security asked MySpace to put it on a fast track. That way they could use MySpace to issue federal emergency warnings, which they were able to do for Hurricane Gustav, and also help track people who go missing in natural disasters.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse, MySpace chief security officer Hemanshu Nigam said:
"What you are seeing us doing with DHS and FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is the beginning of bigger things to come in the future. Tragedy often inspires people to do great things and this has happened here."
