Responding to the momentum around data portability, MySpace has launched its own "Data Availability" effort with big-name partners Yahoo, eBay, Twitter and fellow News Corp. unit Photobucket.

The initiative's goal is to let MySpace members share their public profile data outside of the walls of the social-networking site.

"The walls around the garden are coming down -- the implementation of Data Availability injects a new layer of social activity and creates a more dynamic Internet," said Chris DeWolfe, CEO and cofounder of MySpace, in a statement.

As the popularity of social networks keeps rising and people set up multiple profiles in such sites, they are demanding the ability to carry their data, content and connections from one site to another, so that they don't have to re-enter all that information again.

MySpace will hold a news conference this afternoon to discuss the announcement, which was also made Thursday.

(More to follow.)