MySpace 'Connects' with Google for MySpaceID

As part of the Le Web conference in Paris, News Corp.'s MySpace announced that it has taken a deeper plunge into the data portability pool.

The social network has announced its support for Google Friend Connect, which launched in full last week, and is using the standard to help power a new set of tools called the MySpace Open Platform. In conjunction, MySpace has ditched the distinctly unsexy moniker of "Data Availability" in favor of the new sobriquet "MySpaceID" for its universal log-in project. The Open Platform, in addition to MySpaceID, encompasses its OpenSocial-compatible app platform and the Post To MySpace sharing feature.

Right now, with MySpaceID, members can log in to partner sites with their MySpace usernames and find which of their MySpace friends use those partner sites. In the future, it'll also synchronize feed activity much like the rival Facebook Connect and allow MySpace members to register for third-party site accounts with their MySpace URLs.

Along with Google Friend Connect, MySpaceID was built with open standards OAuth, OpenSocial, and OpenID. MySpace, as well as Google, is one of the founding partners of the OpenSocial Foundation.

MySpace also announced the first two partners for MySpaceID: European mobile giant Vodafone and personalized home page service Netvibes. It still hasn't yet rolled out log-in credentials for the original Data Availability launch partners--Twitter, eBay, and Yahoo--but product manager Max Engel says those are still in the works.

Facebook Connect and Google Friend Connect both launched last week, spurring a return to the social-networking turf wars and power struggle for control of the almighty "social graph."

[coryschulz]

This is sad... I'd much rather see Google working with Facebook. The only reason I think they would go with MySpace is because people on MySpace probably do more searches for things, where as Facebook is just a way to keep in touch with friends. But the culture at MySpace is so much different from that at Google. I wish Google paid more attention to this. I think it would benefit them more in the long run.

[knowles2]

I do not think they had much choice, Facebook seemed more interested in doing their own thing rather than working with others.

[Harrison912]

Thanks, Caroline, for this great information. I'm mainly on MySpace for socail marketing my safety and security web site and raise awareness for it's products so any news about it is of interest to me.

Although I don't require log in to shop at my store it's good to know about this feature.

[bkissel]

Would be great if cnet supported login from MySpace, AOL, Yahoo, and Google as well as Facebook. An easy way to do that is with the integrated login solution RPX (http://rpxnow.com). You can see how it works at www.interscope.com and www.uservoice.com.