FORTUNE INDIA – Netflix and Hulu documentaries have fueled a surge in Ashley Madison's popularity in India, pushing the country from the eighth to the sixth spot globally in new signups. Despite the platform's controversial history, including a massive 2015 data breach, its membership has now grown to 85M users worldwide, with 1.4M signups from India as of December. Chief Strategy Officer Paul Keable attributes this rise to increased exposure from streaming platforms, noting a 20-30% jump in global signups following the Netflix series.
Category: AshleyMadison
Ashley Madison Makes Millions on Infidelity – No Fundraising, No IPO Plans
QRIUS – Ashley Madison, the controversial dating platform launched in 2002, has remained consistently profitable without requiring external fundraising or planning an IPO. Operating in ~45 countries and projected to reach 90M users by 2024, the platform caters to individuals seeking discreet extramarital connections. Despite facing a major setback in 2015 when a data breach exposed sensitive information of ~37M users, Ashley Madison managed to recover and even saw an increase in sign-ups due to heightened publicity. The company has since invested heavily in security, adopting AI for fraud detection and advanced encryption to safeguard user data. Globally, the platform has gained traction in markets like India.
Ashley Madison Study Explores Why People Cheat
ASKMEN – Ashley Madison's study, "Lifting the Veil on Infidelity," reveals that sexual dissatisfaction is the primary reason people cheat, especially among Ashley Madison users, while falling out of love is a more common reason among the general population. Boredom, loss of affection or attention, and a desire for novelty were also common answers. The data confirm that men were more likely than women to cheat (albeit by a relatively small margin), but it also confirmed that men were (slightly) more willing to forgive an unfaithful partner.
by Jack Dawes
See full article at AskMen
Ashley Madison Thrives Despite Scandal and Documentary Revelations
FOX NEWS – Ashley Madison, a controversial dating site for married users, remains popular despite its scandalous history, as detailed in the docuseries "Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal." The series highlights the company's 2015 data breach, where hackers exposed users' identities, causing widespread upheaval. Despite this, Ashley Madison has seen an increase in membership since the documentary's release. Chief Strategy Officer Paul Keable emphasized the company's commitment to security and discretion, noting that over 50 million people have joined since the breach. Keable asserts that the documentary proves the adage "there's no such thing as bad publicity."
Ashley Madison Report: Decoding Gen Z
ASHLEY.DATE – The 'Decoding Gen Z' report by Ashley Madison delves into the complex attitudes of Generation Z towards sex, non-monogamy, and discretion. This generation, born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, has been characterized by various contradictions, being both progressive and conservative in different aspects. In 2022, a significant number of Gen Z individuals, particularly in the U.S., joined Ashley Madison, despite many not being married. The report reveals that Gen Z is more open to non-monogamous relationships compared to previous generations. According to the survey, 57% of Gen Z Americans are willing to consider non-monogamous relationships, and 59% of Gen Z Ashley Madison members prefer open or polyamorous relationships.
Study: Gen Z Is Comfortable With Multiple Sex Partners
FOX NEWS – A study reported by Fox News Digital reveals that 57% of Gen Z, those aged 18-29, are open to non-monogamous relationships. This finding comes from a survey by Ashley Madison, where 40% of its new members in 2022 were from this age group. The survey highlights a trend towards greater acceptance of non-traditional relationships among younger people. Additionally, despite their comfort with non-monogamy, Gen Z members tend to keep their relationships and sexual life private, particularly on social media.
The Ashley Madison Affair: Where Is ex-CEO Noel Biderman Now?
ABC News Studios Announce Hulu Docuseries on the Ashley Madison Scandal
TBI – ABC News Studios and Wall to Wall Media have announced the production of a Hulu Original documentary series, The Ashley Madison Affair. The series is a documentary exploring the hack of Ashley Madison, the dating site for married people. The 2015 scandal caused shockwaves for millions of married people using the site when a data breach made their private information public. As Ashley Madison's owners were set to IPO, they refused to comply with the demands of the hackers, known as the "Impact Team." Thirty days later, the Impact Team released 10 gigabytes of user details onto the dark web with disastrous consequences for people who had signed up to the site, ranging from suicide to blackmail to public shaming.
Background Checks on Dating Apps
EYEWITNESS NEWS – One study found 81% of online daters misrepresented some aspect about themselves, be it height, weight, or age. The Federal Trade Commission says phishing and dating scams on apps cost victims $304M in 2020, double the amount of the previous year. Top10.com researched the background check and user verification processes for the most popular dating apps and websites.
Match Group
The company announced in March 2021 a partnership with nonprofit background check technology Garbo. The app provides historical information about domestic violence and abuse.
Badoo
The app makes sure the person is legitimate by having users take an image in a unique pose to verify. Badoo also allows users to further verify using a phone number or social network account and marks verification on their profile.
Bumble
Bumble uses a combination of AI and human-led monitoring systems to review accounts and messages for violations of their terms of service. These include imagery or language that discriminates against someone's race, ethnicity, disability, gender expression, and a range of other criteria.
AdultFriendFinder
AdultFriendFinder doesn't do background checks. While users are to accept sole responsibility for their own interactions with other users, users have recourse to report account abuse, and moderators are also looking out for abnormal behavior on the site.
Ashley Madison
User verification and background checks are counterintuitive to the goal of Ashley Madison.
Happn
Similar to Badoo, Happn users have the opportunity to certify their profiles by taking a video posing with unique head gestures, as instructed by the app. While Happn claims noncertified profiles are not fake, they do not provide any additional background on whether a vetting process exists for noncertified profiles.
Zoosk
Zoosk provides online dating safety tips for people new to dating online. Although, in those tips, it's suggested that users do their own research on potential suitors because Zoosk asserts it does not "routinely screen our members, inquire into the background of our members, attempt to verify information provided by our members, or conduct criminal screenings of our members."
Eharmony
While the dating service does not conduct an official background check, it does provide users with an 80-question survey to narrow in on the specificity of the website's services.
Grindr
Grindr notes in its terms of service that it does not conduct criminal or other background screenings of its users and doesn't verify the information users provide.
by Vivian Muniz
See full article at PA Homepage
What Really Happens on Ashley Madison?
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY – Americans' acceptance of non monogamy is growing. Many are interested in having affairs. Recent data suggests that the affair-based website Ashley Madison is more likely to produce texts or sexts than physical interactions. A previous study of Ashley Madison members found that most people join because they're unhappy in their relationships, disappointed and feeling neglected, angry, and sexually frustrated. But in this recent study, almost one-quarter said they were very satisfied with their relationships, and more than half said they were at least somewhat satisfied. In the survey, 17% said their primary partners knew about their membership and consented. The site now says it focuses as much on supporting polyamory as encouraging cheating.