New features, celebrity endorsements, and a redesign can only get a site so far.  More than ever, users want to know their private information is safe.  So this week, MySpace issued a clear statement to the effect that the social network is protecting users’ data.

Remember the big third-party-apps-are-leaking-data-to-advertisers scare in October?  MySpace responded to it by making some promises, and a post on the MSC Page’s Blog stated yesterday, "Today, I am happy to say that Myspace has fully implemented the new changes to address these issues."

One step involved encrypting MySpace User IDs.  MySpace – along with all its developers – will now use anonymous identifiers, too.

Then the post made clear, "We have no tolerance for data brokers.  Accordingly, going forward, any developer found transferring Myspace user data, including user IDs, to a data broker will be punished with immediate suspension and a minimum 6-month moratorium on their apps."

These changes may help lure a few privacy-conscious individuals back to MySpace, or at least stem the flow of departing users a little bit.

They may also help MySpace avoid legal scrutiny if any more privacy crises occur, although we all have our fingers crossed that won’t be the case.