LibertyOne and PrivaSeek Form Joint Asian Venture

Internet media group LibertyOne
has entered into an agreement with US Internet company PrivaSeek to develop an Asia-wide broker
of users’ personal information.

LibertyOne will own an 80 per cent stake in the joint venture,
contributing up to AUS$30 million (US$18 million) in debt funding in the
immediate future to establish the business in Asia.

The partnership, which will be known as PrivaSeek Asia, will serve as a
provider of PrivaSeek’s Persona technology and services to countries
throughout the Asia Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand.

Persona technology acts as an information manager, allowing users to
control the advertising they receive through a set of criteria.

PrivaSeek customers register their personal profile and authorise
distribution of this information to companies who are looking for looking
to market their products and services to a tailored audience.

Users also receive 20 percent of the revenue that the sale of their
details generates. Sites that join the PrivaSeek program and sing up
additional consumers also receive a share of the revenue from that
consumer’s profile.

Both parties must first agree to maintain accepted privacy practices,
something which LibertyOne’s chief executive officer Graham Bristow said
would be of great benefit to the joint venture.

“Privacy is one of the most critical issues facing the Internet industry
today,” he said. “PrivaSeek puts the issue of privacy back in the hands of
the consumer”.

The company was unable to specify when the service would be launched or
who else would be involved.