ICQ Takes on Friendster

SILICON VALLEY -- Apparently Friendster’s business model has caught on in a big way.

America Online’s ICQ launched a social-networking service Thursday called ICQ Universe, which is expected to create more opportunities, both business and personal, than existing sites.

ICQ (“I Seek You”), the primary instant-messaging system in the adult-entertainment industry, has 175 million registered users and 8 million daily active users, America Online said. Friendster, a one-year fledgling, claims it has more than 5 million users.

ICQ said that its existing users will help the new service become a leader among social networking sites, which consist of personal profiles and lists of friends that people can use to meet one another, post messages, and send email.

In beta testing for three weeks, ICQ Universe users can create profiles of themselves, write testimonials for friends, and view and message members.

ICQ Universe, which is free and available to all ICQ users, said it currently has no plans to charge and will collect revenue from advertising. Users may see charges for premium services across ICQ eventually, the company said.

AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ are interoperable, so ICQ users can also invite AIM users to join. AIM users will also eventually be able to log in with their screen names, ICQ said.

The field of social-networking services has been growing and attracting investors lately, after Friendster attracted nearly $13 million in venture funding last October.

In November, business networking site LinkedIn received venture funding of $4.7 million. And Monday, InterActiveCorp., which owns Match.com and Evite, said it acquired ZeroDegrees, an online business networking company with about 220,000 members.

Meanwhile, Lycos, a unit of Spain’s Terra Networks SA, rebranded itself as a service center for connecting people. Lycos currently doesn’t link people based on who they know as other social-networking sites do, but it may add that feature if a business model can be proved, the company said.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

AEBN Reveals Eva Maxim as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the second quarter of 2025, with Eva Maxim landing atop the leaderboard.

France Reinstates Age Verification Rule for EU Sites

France’s highest court, the Council of State, on Tuesday reinstated age verification rules for EU-based sites under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, ruling in favor of the French government and against Hammy Media.

Whisper Fans Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Whisper Fans has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Utherverse Launches 'Red Light Center' Virtual World

Virtual reality and metaverse technology company Utherverse has launched its new virtual world, RedLightCenter.io.

European Commission Approves AV Guidelines, Unveils Prototype App

The European Commission on Monday released its final, approved guidelines for protecting minors online under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and made public a “white label” age verification app intended to help sites and platforms comply with age verification rules under the DSA.

New Membership Site 'Sluts Corner' Launches

R18 Entertainment has launched a new membership site, SlutsCorner.com.

Roxie Rae Relaunches Site Through XSiteAbility

Roxie Rae has relaunched her site through XSiteAbility.

Federal Appeals Court Vacates FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Pending Review

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit on Tuesday vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel online subscriptions, pending further review.

Show More