Editing Myspace (section)

==History==
===2003–2005: Beginnings and rise===
[[File:Foxinteractivemediaheadquarters.jpg|thumb|Fox Interactive Media's former headquarters in [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]], California, before 2016, where Myspace was also housed (now home to [[Fandango Media|Fandango]])]]

In August 2003, several [[Intermix Media|eUniverse]] employees with [[Friendster]] accounts saw potential in its social networking features. The group decided to mimic the more popular features of the website. Within 10 days, the first version of MySpace was ready for launch, implemented using [[ColdFusion]].<ref name="bw-20110622">{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-06-22/the-rise-and-inglorious-fall-of-myspace|title=The Rise and Inglorious Fall of Myspace|author=Felix Gillette|date=June 22, 2011|newspaper=Bloomberg Businessweek|access-date=June 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202173130/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-06-22/the-rise-and-inglorious-fall-of-myspace|archive-date=2019-12-02}} [http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_27/b4235053917570.htm Alt URL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625031242/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_27/b4235053917570.htm |date=June 25, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="business of spam">{{cite web|last=Lapinski |first=Trent |title=MySpace: The Business of Spam 2.0 (Exhaustive Edition) |url=http://valleywag.com/tech/myspace/myspace-the-business-of-spam-20-exhaustive-edition-199924.php |work=ValleyWag |date=September 11, 2006 |access-date=March 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312041913/http://valleywag.com/tech/myspace/myspace-the-business-of-spam-20-exhaustive-edition-199924.php |archive-date=March 12, 2008 }}</ref> A complete infrastructure of finance, human resources, technical expertise, [[Bandwidth (computing)|bandwidth]], and server capacity was available for the site. The project was overseen by [[Brad Greenspan]] (eUniverse's founder, chairman and CEO), who managed [[Chris DeWolfe]] (MySpace's starting CEO), Josh Berman, [[Tom Anderson]] (MySpace's starting president), and a team of programmers and resources provided by eUniverse. It was during this early period in June 2003, just prior to the birth of MySpace, that [[Jeffrey Scott Edell|Jeffrey Edell]] was brought on as chairman of parent company Intermix Media.

The first MySpace users were eUniverse employees. The company held contests to see who could sign up the most users.<ref>{{cite book|last=Percival|first=Sean|title=MySpace Marketing|year=2008|publisher=Que|location=Indianapolis, Ind.|isbn=978-0-7897-3709-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r0OZBiiWBkMC&q=myspace+euniverse+contests&pg=PT49|access-date=November 18, 2020|archive-date=January 22, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122152732/https://books.google.com/books?id=r0OZBiiWBkMC&q=myspace+euniverse+contests&pg=PT49|url-status=live}}</ref> eUniverse used its 20 million users and e-mail subscribers to breathe life into MySpace<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freemyspace.com/N.jpg |title=Welcome to |publisher=Freemyspace.com |access-date=July 24, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623233215/http://freemyspace.com/N.jpg |archive-date=June 23, 2010 }}</ref> and move it to the head of the pack of social networking websites. A key architect was tech expert Toan Nguyen, who helped stabilize the platform when Greenspan asked him to join the team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freemyspace.com/09-03-03-f.jpg |title=Welcome to |publisher=Freemyspace.com |access-date=July 24, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623233225/http://freemyspace.com/09-03-03-f.jpg |archive-date=June 23, 2010 }}</ref> Co-founder and CTO [[Aber Whitcomb]] played an integral role in software architecture, utilizing the then-superior development speed of ColdFusion over other dynamic database driven server-side languages of the time. Despite having over ten times the number of developers, [[Friendster]], which was developed in [[JavaServer Pages]] (jsp), could not keep up with the speed of development of MySpace and [[ColdFusion Markup Language|cfm]]. For example, users could customize the background, look and feel of pages on MySpace.

MySpace originally gained users because of how easy it made to communicate with other users. Before MySpace debuted, many people communicated online through Instant Messaging or IM. However, MySpace got so popular that people started to use MySpace to message people even more than IM. This was especially true in bigger cities that had more people compared to suburbs that still used IM more.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors=Zhao, Shanyang| journal=CyberPsychology & Behavior | title=Teen Adoption of MySpace and IM: Inner-City versus Suburban Differences| volume=12 | issue=1 | pages=55–58 | date= February 2009 | doi=10.1089/cpb.2008.0090 | pmid=19006460 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23470864 }} </ref>

[[File:MySpace logo.svg|thumb|left|class=skin-invert|alt=old logo|MySpace logo used from June 2004 to October 2010]]

The MySpace.com domain was originally owned by YourZ.com, Inc., intended until 2002 for use as an online data storage and sharing site. By late 2003, it was transitioned from a file storage service to a social networking site. A friend who also worked in the data storage business reminded DeWolfe that he had earlier bought the MySpace.com domain.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite news|last=Sellers|first=Patricia|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/09/04/8384727/index.htm|title=money.cnn.com|publisher=CNN|date=August 29, 2006|access-date=July 24, 2010}}</ref> DeWolfe suggested they charge a fee for the basic MySpace service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freemyspace.com/I-2.jpg |title=Welcome to |publisher=Freemyspace.com |access-date=July 24, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623233236/http://freemyspace.com/I-2.jpg |archive-date=June 23, 2010 }}</ref> However, Greenspan nixed the idea, believing that keeping the site free was necessary to make it a successful community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freemyspace.com/?q=node%2F13|title=MySpace History|publisher=FreeMySpace|access-date=July 24, 2010|archive-date=July 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722132216/http://www.freemyspace.com/?q=node%2F13|url-status=dead}}</ref> MySpace quickly gained popularity among teenagers and young adults. In February 2005, DeWolfe held talks with [[Mark Zuckerberg]] over acquiring [[Facebook]], but rejected Zuckerberg's offer to sell Facebook to him for $75 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/01/24/myspacebook/|title=Stories From The Tell-All MySpace Book|first=Michael|last=Arrington|date=January 25, 2009|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-date=August 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808213731/https://techcrunch.com/2009/01/24/myspacebook/|url-status=live}}</ref> Some employees of MySpace, including DeWolfe and Berman, were able to purchase [[Equity (finance)|equity]] in the property before MySpace and its parent company eUniverse (now renamed [[Intermix Media]]) were bought.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

===2005–2009: Purchase by News Corp. and peak years===
In July 2005, in one of the company's first major Internet purchases, [[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]] purchased MySpace for US$580 million.<ref name="business of spam"/><ref name="BBC 2005">{{cite news|title=News Corp in $580m internet buy|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4695495.stm|work=BBC News|date=July 19, 2005|access-date=March 13, 2008|archive-date=October 13, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013114023/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4695495.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> At the time of the acquisition, the company was seeing 16 million monthly users and was growing exponentially.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Siklos|first=Richard|date=2005-07-18|title=News Corp. to Acquire Owner of MySpace.com|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/18/business/news-corp-to-acquire-owner-of-myspacecom.html|access-date=2020-05-25|issn=0362-4331|url-access=limited|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119162201/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/18/business/news-corp-to-acquire-owner-of-myspacecom.html|url-status=live}}</ref> News Corporation had beat out [[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]] by offering a higher price for the website,<ref name="Remember">{{cite news|last=Haden|first=Jeff|url=https://business.time.com/2011/01/12/remember-news-corp-s-brilliant-myspace-buy/|title=MySpace Layoffs Are A Good Reminder how Uncool Rupert Murdock's acquisition of the social media was?|publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=January 12, 2011|access-date=June 30, 2012|archive-date=August 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830050925/http://business.time.com/2011/01/12/remember-news-corp-s-brilliant-myspace-buy/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the purchase was seen as a good investment at the time.<ref name="Remember"/> Within a year, MySpace had tripled in value from its purchase price.<ref name="Remember"/> News Corporation saw the purchase as a way to capitalize on Internet advertising and drive traffic to other News Corporation properties.<ref name="BBC 2005"/>

[[File:Rupert Murdoch Wendi Deng2.jpg|thumb|left|[[Oxfam America]] president Raymond C. Offenheiser, [[Wendi Deng]] and [[Rupert Murdoch]] with MySpace co-founders Anderson and DeWolfe at the 2006 [[Oxfam]]/MySpace Rock for Darfur event]]

After the acquisition, MySpace continued its exponential growth. In January 2006, the site was signing up 200,000 new users a day. A year later, it was registering 320,000 users a day, and had overtaken [[Yahoo!]] to become the most visited website in the United States. ComScore said that a key driver of the site's success in the US was high "engagement levels", with the average MySpace user viewing over 660 pages a month.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite news|title=MySpace clicks to Canada and Mexico|url=https://www.ft.com/content/c95d9e72-aef0-11db-a446-0000779e2340|date=2007-01-28|newspaper=Financial Times|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-05-25|archive-date=August 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809054131/https://www.ft.com/content/c95d9e72-aef0-11db-a446-0000779e2340|url-status=live}}</ref>

In January 2006, Fox announced plans to launch a UK version of MySpace.<ref>{{cite news|work=BBC News|date=January 24, 2006|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4642622.stm|title=MySpace looks to UK music scene|access-date=January 24, 2006|first=Rowan|last=Bridge|archive-date=February 4, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060204205143/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4642622.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> During 2006, MySpace launched localized versions in 11 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas, including MySpace China with Solstice.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://medium.com/triton-business-review/tiktok-and-the-future-of-us-china-relations-78284ab95b29 | title=TikTok and the Future of US-China Relations | date=August 30, 2020 | access-date=September 30, 2022 | archive-date=September 30, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930045903/https://medium.com/triton-business-review/tiktok-and-the-future-of-us-china-relations-78284ab95b29 | url-status=live }}</ref> At the time, [[Travis Katz]], senior vice-president for international operations, reported that 30 million of the site's 90 million users were coming from outside of the United States.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

The 100 millionth MySpace account was created on August 9, 2006, in the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://seekingalpha.com/article/15237-rupert-murdoch-comments-on-fox-interactives-growth|title=Rupert Murdoch Comments on Fox Interactive's Growth|last=Murdoch|first=Rupert|date=August 9, 2006|access-date=September 12, 2006|publisher=SeekingAlpha|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804074202/https://seekingalpha.com/article/15237-rupert-murdoch-comments-on-fox-interactives-growth|url-status=live}}</ref> That same month, MySpace signed a landmark advertising deal with [[Google]] that guaranteed MySpace $900 million over three years, over 55% more than the price News Corporation had paid to acquire the business. In exchange, Google received exclusive rights to provide Web search results and sponsored links on MySpace. When the deal was signed, Google chairman Eric Schmidt said, "When we looked at what was growing on the Web, all our internal metrics pointed to [MySpace] [...] It's important to move Google to where users are, and that is where user-generated content is."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Google pledges $900 million for MySpace honors|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/google-pledges-900-million-for-myspace-honors/|last=Olsen|first=Stefanie|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=2020-05-25|archive-date=October 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027155850/https://www.cnet.com/news/google-pledges-900-million-for-myspace-honors/|url-status=live}}</ref>

By October 2006, MySpace had grown from generating $1 million in revenue per month to $30 million per month, half of which came from the Google deal. The remaining 50% came from display advertising sold by MySpace's in-house sales team.<ref name="ft.com"/> In November 2006, Myspace announced a 50-50 joint venture with [[SoftBank Group|Softbank]] to launch the site in Japan.<ref>{{Cite news|first1=Julia|last1=Angwin|author1-link=Julia Angwin|first2=Jay|last2=Alabaster|date=2006-11-08|title=MySpace Adds a Friend in Japan|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116290234314615478|access-date=2020-05-25|issn=0099-9660|url-access=subscription|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804164651/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116290234314615478|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|title=MySpace Enters Japan|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/1348071/myspace-enters-japan|date=2006-11-07|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2020-05-25|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804234442/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/1348071/myspace-enters-japan|url-status=live}}</ref>

In mid-2007, MySpace was the largest social-networking site in every European country where it had created a local presence. By July 2007, Nielsen//NetRatings reported the company's "active reach", or the percentage of the population that visited the site, was anywhere from 10 to 15 times higher in Spain, France and Germany than for runner-up Facebook; in the United Kingdom, MySpace led Facebook by two-to-one in terms of reach.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Social Networking in Europe: How MySpace Conquered the Continent - DER SPIEGEL - International|url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/business/social-networking-in-europe-how-myspace-conquered-the-continent-a-493755.html |first=Mark |last=Scott |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=July 11, 2007|language=en|access-date=2020-05-25|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804084428/https://www.spiegel.de/international/business/social-networking-in-europe-how-myspace-conquered-the-continent-a-493755.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

MySpace would even land deals with major corporations like Sony. In 2007 MySpace partnered with Sony BMG, a Sony record label, to put music directly on the MySpace platform. Sony became interested in MySpace as they had 110 million users and had a lot of musical artists make their start on the platform.<ref>{{Citation | year=2007 | title=MYSPACE AND SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT SIGN NEW LICENSING PACT | url=https://www.sonymusic.com/sonymusic/myspace-and-sony-bmg-music-entertainment-sign-new-licensing-pact/}}</ref>

On November 1, 2007, MySpace and [[Bebo]] joined the Google-led [[OpenSocial|OpenSocial alliance]], which already included Friendster, [[Hi5]], [[LinkedIn]], [[Plaxo]], [[Ning (website)|Ning]], and [[SixApart|Six Apart]]. The alliance's goal was to promote a common set of standards for software developers to write programs for social networks. Google had been unsuccessful in building its own social networking site [[Orkut]] in the American market, and was using the alliance to present a counterweight to Facebook.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/technology/02google.html|work=The New York Times|first1=Miguel|last1=Helft|first2=Brad|last2=Stone|title=MySpace Joins Google Alliance to Counter Facebook|date=November 2, 2007|url-access=limited|access-date=February 22, 2017|archive-date=December 11, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211173736/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/technology/02google.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article2793615.ece |location=London |work=The Times |first=Jonathan |last=Richards |title=MySpace and Bebo join Googles lovein |date=November 2, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429135658/http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article2793615.ece |archive-date=April 29, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/7564413/Did-AOL-squander-its-chances-with-Bebo.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/7564413/Did-AOL-squander-its-chances-with-Bebo.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |location=London|work=The Daily Telegraph|first=Emma|last=Barnett|title=Did AOL squander its chances with Bebo?|date=April 8, 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/building-facebook-killer-no-easy-task-google-787|title=Update: Building a Facebook killer no easy task for Google &#124; Cloud Computing|publisher=InfoWorld|date=June 30, 2010|access-date=October 23, 2011|archive-date=November 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126060640/http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/building-facebook-killer-no-easy-task-google-787|url-status=live}}</ref>

By late 2007 and into 2008, MySpace was considered the leading social networking site, and consistently beat out its main competitor Facebook in traffic. Initially, the emergence of Facebook did little to diminish MySpace's popularity; at the time, Facebook was targeted only at college students.

At its peak, when News Corporation attempted to merge it with Yahoo! in 2007, Myspace was valued at $12 billion and had more than 300 million registered users.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/myspace/8404510/MySpace-loses-10-million-users-in-a-month.html|location=London|work=The Daily Telegraph|first=Emma|last=Barnett|title=MySpace loses 10 million users in a month|date=March 24, 2011|access-date=April 5, 2018|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112025721/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/myspace/8404510/MySpace-loses-10-million-users-in-a-month.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Steel">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703576204576226620748953038|work=The Wall Street Journal|first=Emily|last=Steel|title=Advertisers Wary of Myspace|date=March 28, 2011|url-access=subscription|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-date=August 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819181023/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703576204576226620748953038|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/02/first-time-atlantic-wrote-about-facebook/581902/ What We Wrote About Facebook 12 Years Ago]</ref>

===2009–2016: Decline and sale by News Corporation===
On April 19, 2008, Facebook overtook MySpace in [[Alexa Internet|Alexa]] rankings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/06/12/facebook-no-longer-the-second-largest-social-network/|publisher=TechCrunch|title=Facebook No Longer The Second Largest Social Network|date=June 12, 2008|access-date=March 12, 2015|archive-date=December 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205150545/https://techcrunch.com/2008/06/12/facebook-no-longer-the-second-largest-social-network/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youngacademic.co.uk/features/the-death-of-myspace-young-academic-columns-953|title=The Death of MySpace|publisher=Young Academic|date=March 31, 2011|access-date=October 23, 2011|archive-date=August 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815131154/https://www.youngacademic.co.uk/features/the-death-of-myspace-young-academic-columns-953|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2009, Facebook surpassed MySpace in the number of unique U.S. visitors.<ref name="Albanesius"/> From that point, Myspace saw a consistent loss of membership. There are several suggested explanations for its decline, including the fact that it stuck to a "portal strategy" of building an audience around entertainment and music, whereas Facebook and [[Twitter]] continually added new features to improve the social networking experience.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jun-17-fi-ct-myspace17-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|first1=Dawn C.|last1=Chmielewski|first2=David|last2=Sarno|date=June 17, 2009|title=How MySpace fell off the pace|url-access=subscription|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-date=June 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620021533/http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/17/business/fi-ct-myspace17|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/7564413/Did-AOL-squander-its-chances-with-Bebo.html|location=London|work=The Daily Telegraph|first=Emma|last=Barnett|title=Did AOL squander its chances with Bebo?|date=April 8, 2010|access-date=April 5, 2018|archive-date=March 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330221548/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/7564413/Did-AOL-squander-its-chances-with-Bebo.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

A former MySpace executive suggested that the $900 million three-year advertisement deal with Google,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Olsen|first=Stefanie|title=Google pledges $900 million for MySpace honors|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-pledges-900-million-for-myspace-honors/|access-date=2020-11-18|website=ZDNet|language=en|archive-date=December 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213155754/https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-pledges-900-million-for-myspace-honors/|url-status=live}}</ref> while being a short-term cash windfall, was a handicap in the long run, as it required MySpace to place even more ads on its already heavily advertised space, which made the site slow, more difficult to use and less flexible. MySpace could not experiment with its own site without forfeiting revenue, while Facebook was rolling out a new, clean site design.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telecomtv.com/comspace_newsDetail.aspx?n=47741&id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10|title=Only one bidder for MySpace – and he might walk|publisher=TelecomTV|date=June 13, 2011|access-date=October 23, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203053549/http://www.telecomtv.com/comspace_newsDetail.aspx?n=47741&id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10|archive-date=December 3, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://gigaom.com/2011/04/08/was-it-google-who-killed-myspace/|title=Was It Google That Killed MySpace? – Tech News and Analysis|date=April 8, 2011|publisher=gigaom.com|access-date=April 9, 2011|archive-date=April 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110409160032/http://gigaom.com/2011/04/08/was-it-google-who-killed-myspace/|url-status=live}}</ref> MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe reported that he had to fight Fox Interactive Media's sales team, who [[monetize]]d the site without regard to user experience.<ref name="bw-20110622"/> In 2012, Katz described how News Corporation had put significant pressure on MySpace to "focus on near-term monetization, as opposed to thinking about long-term product strategy," while Facebook focused on user engagement over revenue.<ref>{{Citation|title=MySpace Exec and Trip.com Founder Travis Katz talks Facebook IPO Fox Business|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX_s-MMcQBE| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/TX_s-MMcQBE| archive-date=2021-10-28|language=en|access-date=2020-05-28}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

[[Danah Boyd]], a senior researcher at [[Microsoft Research]], noted of social networking websites that "companies might serially rise, fall, and disappear, as influential peers pull others in on the climb up—and signal to flee when it's time to get out." The volatility of social networks was exemplified in 2006, when Connecticut Attorney General [[Richard Blumenthal]] launched an investigation into children's exposure to pornography on MySpace. The resulting media frenzy and the site's lack of an effective spam filter gave the site a reputation as a "vortex of perversion". Around that time, specialized social media companies such as Twitter formed and began targeting users on MySpace, while Facebook rolled out communication tools that were seen as safe in comparison to MySpace. In addition, MySpace had particular problems with vandalism, phishing, malware, and spam, which it failed to curtail, making the site seem inhospitable.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Gehl|first=Robert W.|title=Real (Software) Abstractions: On the Rise of Facebook and the Fall of Myspace|journal=Social Text|year=2012|volume=30|issue=2 111|doi=10.1215/01642472-1541772|url=http://socialtext.dukejournals.org/content/30/2_111/99.full.pdf|access-date=June 27, 2013|doi-access=free|archive-date=October 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002151223/http://socialtext.dukejournals.org/content/30/2_111/99.full.pdf|url-status=live|issn = 0164-2472 }}</ref>

These have been cited as factors why users, who as teenagers were MySpace's strongest audience in 2006 and 2007,<ref name="pcworld.com">{{cite web|last=Newman|first=Jared|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/234806/myspace_4_lessons_learned_from_the_collapse.html|title=MySpace: 4 Lessons Learned from the Collapse|publisher=PCWorld|date=June 30, 2011|access-date=October 23, 2011|archive-date=October 8, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008110525/http://www.pcworld.com/article/234806/myspace_4_lessons_learned_from_the_collapse.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-01-08-myspace-teens_x.htm|work=USA Today|first1=Janet|last1=Kornblum|title=MySpace is the place|date=January 9, 2006|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-date=March 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310185316/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-01-08-myspace-teens_x.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> had been migrating to Facebook, which started strongly with the 18-to-24 group (mostly college students)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jun/26/usa.news?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487|location=London|work=The Guardian|first=Bobbie|last=Johnson|title=World news, US news, Technology, Digital media, Media, Facebook, Myspace, Research + Development (Technology), Social networking|date=June 26, 2007|access-date=December 15, 2016|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804091302/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jun/26/usa.news?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487|url-status=live}}</ref> and has been much more successful than MySpace at attracting older users.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jesdanun|first=Anick|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/19717700|title=MySpace popularity with teens fizzles|publisher=NBC News|date=November 7, 2007|access-date=October 23, 2011|archive-date=November 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104102750/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/19717700/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Andrews|first=Robert|url=http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-myspace-bebo-audience-shrinking-as-facebook-surges-ahead/|title=MySpace, Bebo Audience Shrinking As Facebook Surges Ahead|publisher=paidContent|date=April 8, 2009|access-date=October 23, 2011|archive-date=October 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009015008/http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-myspace-bebo-audience-shrinking-as-facebook-surges-ahead/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsfactor.com/news/Facebook-Traffic-More-Than-Doubles/story.xhtml?story_id=10000BCLMR0W&full_skip=1|title=Facebook Traffic More Than Doubles in One Year|publisher=Newsfactor.com|date=March 16, 2009|access-date=October 23, 2011|archive-date=October 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019135307/https://www.newsfactor.com/news/Facebook-Traffic-More-Than-Doubles/story.xhtml?story_id=10000BCLMR0W&full_skip=1|url-status=live}}</ref>

News Corporation chairman and CEO [[Rupert Murdoch]] was said to be frustrated that MySpace never met expectations as a distribution outlet for Fox studio content and missed the US$1 billion mark in total revenues.<ref>{{cite web|last=Grover|first=Ronald|url=http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc20090427_826659.htm|title=Murdoch Tightens His Grip on MySpace|work=BusinessWeek|date=April 27, 2009|access-date=October 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013165021/http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc20090427_826659.htm|archive-date=13 October 2011}}</ref> This resulted in DeWolfe and Anderson gradually losing their status within Murdoch's inner circle of executives, as well as DeWolfe's mentor [[Peter Chernin]], president and COO of News Corporation, departing the company in June 2009. Former [[AOL]] executive Jonathan Miller, who joined News Corporation in charge of the digital media business, was in the job for three weeks when he shuffled MySpace's executive team in April 2009. MySpace president Tom Anderson stepped down while Chris DeWolfe was replaced as CEO by former Facebook COO [[Owen Van Natta]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2009/04/23/magazines/fortune/tech/myspace-dewolfe-miller.fortune/index.htm|publisher=CNN|first=Jessi|last=Hempel|title=MySpace shakeup: News Corp.'s morning-after plan|date=April 23, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042203524.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Joseph|last=Tartakoff|title=paidContent.org – It's Official: Chris DeWolfe To Exit As MySpace CEO; Tom Anderson Out As President|date=April 23, 2009|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-date=December 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213183246/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042203524.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A meeting at News Corporation over the direction of MySpace in March 2009 was reportedly the catalyst for that management shakeup, with the Google search deal about to expire and the departure of key personnel (Myspace's COO, SVP of engineering, and SVP of strategy) to form a startup. Furthermore, the opening of extravagant new offices around the world was questioned, as Facebook did not have similarly expensive expansion plans but still attracted international users at a rapid rate.<ref name="bw-20110622" /> The changes to MySpace's executive ranks were followed in June 2009 by a layoff of 37.5% of its workforce (including 30% of its U.S. employees), reducing employees from 1,600 to 1,000.<ref name="bw-20110622" />

The downfall of MySpace can be attributed to many different factors. One of which was the demographic of MySpace and how they reacted to the debut of Facebook. When MySpace was launched, many of its users were people who never really used the internet before. As time went on, many users start to become frustrated with the very limited features of MySpace. Facebook launched with many quality of life features that MySpace simply did not have. So, a lot of users began to migrate from MySpace to Facebook.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors=((Robards, B.)) | journal=Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies | title=Leaving MySpace, joining Facebook: 'Growing up' on social network sites. | volume=26 | issue=3 | pages=358–398 | date= June 2012 | doi=10.1080/10304312.2012.665836 | hdl=10072/46082 | url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254240442| hdl-access=free }}</ref>

According to Tim Vanderhook, the CEO of MySpace when it was owned by Viant, MySpace was killed by a “calculated takedown by Google over music”. Vanderhook alleges that Google used their recent acquisition of YouTube to take away a lot of the music deals they otherwise would have gotten by getting artists to put music on YouTube instead of MySpace. This utterly crippled MySpace as they had come to rely on the content of musical artists. Vanderhook also alleges that Google used their search engine algorithm to steer users away from MySpace and towards YouTube.<ref>{{Citation | vauthors=((Schneider, J.)) | year=2024 | title=MySpace CEO: Facebook Didn't Kill MySpace, Google Did – For Music | url=https://petapixel.com/2024/08/30/myspace-ceo-facebook-didnt-kill-myspace-google-did-for-music/}}</ref>

In 2009, MySpace implemented site redesigns as a way to get users back. However, this may have backfired, as users generally disliked tweaks and changes on Facebook.<ref name="pcworld.com" /><ref>''[[The Economist]]''. June 20–26 U.S. print edition. Page 8.</ref>

In March 2011, market research figures released by [[Comscore]] suggested that Myspace had lost 10 million users between January and February 2011, and had fallen from 95 million to 63 million unique users in the previous 12 months.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/myspace/8404510/MySpace-loses-10-million-users-in-a-month.html|work=Daily Telegraph|location=UK|title=MySpace loses 10 million users in a month|date=March 24, 2011|access-date=March 26, 2011|first=Emma|last=Barnett|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112025721/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/myspace/8404510/MySpace-loses-10-million-users-in-a-month.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Myspace registered its sharpest audience declines in February 2011, as traffic fell 44% from a year earlier to 37.7 million U.S. visitors. Advertisers were reported as unwilling to commit to long-term deals with the site.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703576204576226620748953038 |title=Advertisers Wary of Myspace |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=April 1, 2011 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=August 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819181023/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703576204576226620748953038 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In late February 2011, News Corporation officially put the site up for sale for an estimated $50–200 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-54673520110205|work=Reuters|title=News Corp taps Allen & Co for MySpace interest|date=February 5, 2011|access-date=July 5, 2021|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019140332/https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-54673520110205|url-status=live}}</ref> Losses from the last quarter of 2010 were $156 million, over double the previous year, which dragged down the otherwise strong results of News Corporation.<ref name="online.wsj.com"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703530504576164830897334082|work=The Wall Street Journal|first1=Jessica E.|last1=Vascellaro|first2=Russell|last2=Adams|title=Myspace Opens Books to Prospective Buyers|date=February 25, 2011|url-access=subscription|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804034221/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703530504576164830897334082|url-status=live}}</ref> The deadline for bids, May 31, 2011, passed without any above the reserve price of $100 million being submitted.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://allthingsd.com/20110531/the-myspace-sweepstakes-drag-on-another-bid-deadline-today-as-sale-deadline-looms/|work=All Things D|first1=Kara|last1=Swisher|title=The Myspace Sweepstakes Drag on–Another Bid Deadline Today As Sale Deadline Looms|date=June 3, 2011|access-date=June 3, 2011|archive-date=February 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201123038/http://allthingsd.com/20110531/the-myspace-sweepstakes-drag-on-another-bid-deadline-today-as-sale-deadline-looms/|url-status=live}}</ref> It has been said that the decline in users during the most recent quarter deterred several potential suitors.<ref name="online.wsj.com"/>

On June 29, 2011, Myspace announced in an email to label partners and press that it had been acquired by Specific Media for an undisclosed sum, which was rumored to be as low as $35 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20110629006943/en|title=Specific Media Acquires Myspace|publisher=Eon.businesswire.com|date=June 29, 2011|access-date=October 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902034704/http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20110629006943/en|archive-date=September 2, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13969338|work=BBC News|title=MySpace sold to Specific Media by Murdoch's News Corp|date=June 29, 2011|access-date=July 21, 2018|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111190516/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13969338|url-status=live}}</ref> [[CNN]] reported that the site sold for $35 million, and noted that it was "far less than the $580 million News Corp. paid for Myspace in 2005."<ref>{{cite news|author=[[Laurie Segall]]|url=https://money.cnn.com/2011/06/29/technology/myspace_layoffs/index.htm?hpt=te_bn2|title=News Corp. sells Myspace to Specific Media|publisher=CNN|date=June 29, 2011|access-date=June 29, 2011|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029090429/https://money.cnn.com/2011/06/29/technology/myspace_layoffs/index.htm?hpt=te_bn2|url-status=live}}</ref> Murdoch went on to call the Myspace purchase a "huge mistake",<ref name="huge mistake">{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/10/news-corps-murdoch-calls-myspace-a-huge-mistake.html|title=News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch calls Myspace buy a 'huge mistake'|publisher=Latimesblogs.latimes.com|date=October 21, 2011|access-date=June 30, 2012|archive-date=December 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111224180710/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/10/news-corps-murdoch-calls-myspace-a-huge-mistake.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine compared it to [[Time Warner]]'s 2000 purchase of [[AOL]], which saw a conglomerate trying to stay ahead of the competition.<ref name="Remember" /> Many former executives have gone on to further success after departing Myspace.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allthingsd.com/20110613/is-there-a-myspace-mafia-too-because-leaving-it-seems-to-have-paid-off-for-many-ex-execs/?mod=googlenews|title=Myspace Might Be a Failure, But Its Ex-Execs Are Not – Kara Swisher – Social|publisher=AllThingsD|date=June 13, 2011|access-date=October 23, 2011|archive-date=November 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111172323/http://allthingsd.com/20110613/is-there-a-myspace-mafia-too-because-leaving-it-seems-to-have-paid-off-for-many-ex-execs/?mod=googlenews|url-status=live}}</ref>

===2016–2019: Time Inc. and Meredith Corporation ownership===
[[File:Myspacelogo2013.svg|thumb|Current MySpace logo]]
On February 11, 2016, it was announced that Myspace and its parent company had been bought by [[Time Inc.]]<ref name="variety.com"/> On January 31, 2018, Time Inc. was in turn purchased by [[Meredith Corporation]],<ref name=":0" /> who went on to sell a number of Time Inc.'s assets, including (as it announced on November 4, 2019)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://s21.q4cdn.com/842953260/files/doc_news/Meredith-Corporation-Sells-Equity-Stake-In-Viant-Technology-Holding-Inc-2019.pdf|title=Meredith Corporation Sells Equity Stake In Viant Technology Holding Inc|date=Nov 4, 2019|access-date=Jan 12, 2021|archive-date=January 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114131257/https://s21.q4cdn.com/842953260/files/doc_news/Meredith-Corporation-Sells-Equity-Stake-In-Viant-Technology-Holding-Inc-2019.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> selling its equity in [[Viant Technology|Viant]], the parent company of Specific Media, back to Viant Technology Holding Inc.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/52736-05|title=Specific Media UK|access-date=Jan 12, 2021|archive-date=January 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114033741/https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/52736-05|url-status=live}}</ref>

In May 2016, the data for almost 360 million Myspace accounts was offered on [[TheRealDeal]] dark market website, which included email addresses, usernames, and weakly encrypted passwords ([[SHA1]] hashes of the first 10 characters of the password converted to lowercase and stored without a cryptographic [[Salt (cryptography)|salt]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/|title=Have I been pwned? Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=December 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213050404/https://haveibeenpwned.com/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/427-million-myspace-passwords-emails-data-breach/|title=Hacker Tries To Sell 427 Million {{sic|hide=y|reason=typo in source, so it should not be "fixed"}} Stolen MySpace Passwords For $2,800 - Motherboard|date=May 27, 2016 |access-date=November 24, 2016|archive-date=November 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123124901/http://motherboard.vice.com/read/427-million-myspace-passwords-emails-data-breach|url-status=live}}</ref> The exact [[data breach]] date is unknown, but analysis of the data suggests it was exposed around eight years before being made public, around mid-2008 to early 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.troyhunt.com/dating-the-ginormous-myspace-breach/|title=Dating the ginormous MySpace breach|date=May 31, 2016|access-date=November 24, 2016|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108175515/https://www.troyhunt.com/dating-the-ginormous-myspace-breach/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Since 2019: Viant Technology Holding Inc. ownership===
In March 2019, Myspace lost all content before 2016 after a faulty server migration.<ref>{{Citation |last=Hern |first=Alex |title=Myspace loses all content uploaded before 2016 |date=2019-03-18 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/mar/18/myspace-loses-all-content-uploaded-before-2016 |access-date=2024-11-14 |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

As of October 5, 2024, Myspace was placed in a read-only mode of sorts, and no new articles have been published since early 2022.<ref name=em360>{{cite web |last1=Stewart |first1=Ellis |title=What Happened to Myspace? The Fall of the World's First Social Media Giant |url=https://em360tech.com/tech-article/what-happened-to-myspace |publisher=Enterprise Management 360 (EM360) |access-date=2024-07-14 |date=2024-07-06}}</ref> Most images on the site are broken, and existing songs also could not be played.<ref name=em360/>

Media uploads are now working, and MySpace's official account has also started some new activity.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-27 |title=Photos from Myspace (myspace) on Myspace |url=https://myspace.com/myspace/mixes/covermix-3/photo/373946567 |access-date=2024-10-06 |publisher=Myspace}}</ref> The terms of service of MySpace have not been changed by Viant.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Myspace |url=https://myspace.com/pages/terms# |access-date=2024-05-30 |publisher=Myspace}}</ref> The privacy policy was last revised on June 24, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Myspace Privacy Policy |url=https://myspace.com/pages/privacy |access-date=2024-08-07 |publisher=Myspace}}</ref>