Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

MySpace User Data Offered for Sale

Geoff Duncan
By
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Facebook might be the top-drawing site for U.S. Internet users at the moment, but let’s not forget that MySpace has hundreds of millions of users around the world and is still a serious destination for online music fans. And now aggregate data about those users and their activities is available for sale on data-wholesaling startup InfoChimps. Although friends lists are not included, the data sets to offer user playlists, application usage, blog posts, mood updates, reviews, photos, and more, including MySpace user data collated by latitude and longitude, ZIP code, and more. According to some reports, InfoChimps will not be alone in offering MySpace data for sale.

The data sets seem to be intended for MySpace application developers looking for ways to test their apps before taking them live to MySpace, as well as for academics, researchers, and music industry analysts looking to get a handle on MySpace’s broad demographics. While most social networking services that accept advertising offer aggregate demographic information to advertisers about their users, MySpace’s move marks the first time data from a major social networking site has been blatantly offered for sale on the open market.

Recommended Videos

MySpace is within its rights to offer the aggregate user data: legally, the data and server logs belong to MySpace (and it’s parent company, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp), and MySpace users waive their rights to that data in exchange for MySpace’s services.

Related

The degree of backlash directed at MySpace may depend on how well the data offered for sale is anonymized. Back in 2006, AOL released more than 19 million search requests by its users collected over a three-month period without sufficiently anonymizing the data: within days individual AOL users had been identified from the logs, and AOL was facing lawsuits from outraged users and consumer advocates.

[Update 18-Mar-2010: InfoChimps characterizes the for-sale datasets as a value-added service they’re providing from data MySpace gives “out for free from their API.” The financial nature of the arrangement has not been disclosed, but InfoChimps says it has an agreement to redistribute the MySpace data “with revenue share.” MySpace says the information is from its publicly available real time feeds, and if MySpace users don’t want their data included they can adjust their privacy settings. ]

Editors' Recommendations

Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
The best tablets in 2024: top 11 tablets you can buy now
Disney+ app on the iPad Air 5.

As much as we love having the best smartphones in our pockets, there are times when those small screens don't cut it and we just need a larger display. That's when you turn to a tablet, which is great for being productive on the go and can be a awesome way to unwind and relax too. While the tablet market really took off after the iPad, it has grown to be quite diverse with a huge variety of products — from great budget options to powerhouses for professionals.

We've tried out a lot of tablets here at Digital Trends, from the workhorses for pros to tablets that are made for kids and even seniors -- there's a tablet for every person and every budget. For most people, though, we think Apple's iPad Air is the best overall tablet — especially if you're already invested in the Apple ecosystem. But if you're not an Apple user, that's fine too; there are plenty of other great options that you'll find in this roundup.

Read more
How to delete a file from Google Drive on desktop and mobile
Google Drive in Chrome on a MacBook.

Google Drive is an excellent cloud storage solution that can be accessed from numerous devices. Whether you do most of your Google Drive uploading or downloading from a PC, Chromebook, or mobile device, there’s going to come a time when you’ll need to delete a file (or two). Fortunately, the deletion process couldn’t be more straightforward. We’ve also put together this helpful guide to show you how to trash your Drive content a couple of different ways.

Read more
Windows 11 might nag you about AI requirements soon
Copilot on a laptop on a desk.

After recent reports of new hardware requirements for the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update, it is evident that Microsoft is gearing up to introduce a bunch of new AI features. A new report now suggests that the company is working on adding new code to the operating system to alert users if they fail to match the minimum requirements to run AI-based applications.

According to Albacore on X (formerly known as Twitter), systems that do not meet the requirements will display a warning message in the form of a watermark. After digging into the latest Windows 11 Insider Build 26200, he came across requirements coded in the operating system for an upcoming AI File Explorer feature. The minimum requirement includes an ARM64 processor, 16GB of memory, 225GB of total storage, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite NPU.

Read more