According to a post on netvibes, Web based text messaging company txtDrop announced today a new widget for MySpace profiles and personal webpages that creates a button to deliver an SMS message to the page owner’s phone. The widget (this one doesn't work, so don't try it):

Although the service will mean free text messages to any US or Canadian phone for the sender, there are numerous privacy concerns about what txtDrop intends to do with a user's number and how secure the widget actually is in terms of protecting a user's mobile phone from spam. I visited the txtDrop website, and no where could I find a privacy policy or even background about the company, group or individual behind the service. MobileCrunch goes into further detail as to the many dangers that this particular service seems to have. The issues highlighted, which are actually quite bizzare, are that the service makes it possible for your friends to give your number to txtDROP without your consent, they provide no opt-out option and they make no attempt to prevent people with bad intentions from setting up the MySpace txt function using your number without your knowledge.The other issue, which I have found already exists within certain phone carriers who let you send messages from their websites is the potential of stalker-type anonymous messaging, since there is no way for the widget to know who the sender actually is.

This has the potential to be an interesting and popular application, especially for younger myspace users. But before it takes off I hope they address issues of how, not only to protect the user's information and privacy, but also how to ensure that the application is being used correctly and not with harmful intentions.