Ashley Madison

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Ashley Madison is an online dating and social networking service marketed to people who are married or in relationships. The website was launched in 2001 by Darren Morgenstern with the slogan "Life is short. Have an affair." The name of the site was created from two popular female names, "Ashley" and "Madison."

History

Ashley Madison was founded in 2001 by Darren Morgenstern. The website quickly gained notoriety for its controversial business model, which encourages extramarital affairs. The company is owned by Avid Life Media, which later rebranded as Ruby Life Inc..

Services

Ashley Madison offers a variety of services aimed at facilitating discreet encounters between married individuals. Users can create profiles, send messages, and use a "TravelingMan" feature to arrange meetings in different cities. The site also offers a "Priority Man" feature, which allows users to highlight their profiles.

Controversies

Ashley Madison has been involved in several controversies, most notably the 2015 data breach. In July 2015, a group of hackers known as The Impact Team gained access to the site's user data and threatened to release it unless the site was shut down. When the company did not comply, the hackers released the data, exposing millions of users' personal information.

Legal Issues

Following the data breach, several lawsuits were filed against Ashley Madison. Users claimed that the company had failed to protect their personal information adequately. The company settled some of these lawsuits out of court.

User Demographics

Ashley Madison claims to have millions of users worldwide. The site is particularly popular in North America, but it also has a significant user base in Europe and Australia.

Marketing

The site's marketing strategy has often been controversial. Ashley Madison has used provocative advertising campaigns to attract attention. The company has also sponsored various events and sports teams to increase its visibility.

Criticism

Ashley Madison has faced criticism from various quarters, including religious groups, social conservatives, and privacy advocates. Critics argue that the site promotes infidelity and undermines the institution of marriage.

See Also

• Online dating service
• Data breach
• Infidelity
• Social networking service