“Life is short. Have an affair.”
That’s the provocative tagline of Ashley Madison, the world’s first and oldest married dating platform.
Launched in 2001, the site has drawn more than 80 million sign-ups globally, surviving both changing cultural norms and a major data breach in 2015 that exposed the personal information of about 2,500 users, while the information of many more was at risk of being released by hackers who wanted the platform shut down.
However, nearly a decade later, Ashley Madison continues to thrive — a testament to how ideas around marriage, monogamy, and privacy have evolved.
With 1% of the world’s population having registered on the platform, its resurgence mirrors shifting attitudes toward modern relationships.
“Over the past decade, we have worked hard every day to regain and rebuild trust, and we continue to lead the business with a member-centric mindset in place,” says Paul Keable, Chief Strategy Officer at Ashley Madison, in an interview with Invezz.
“We now have a separate chief information security officer and a separate privacy officer in place but it’s also the responsibility of every single person across the organization to consider the privacy and the security of everything we do, every time we develop a new product, a new
feature, a new service,” he adds.
More importantly, Keable discusses how more couples are exploring non-monogamy together — often with women taking the lead — and how growth remains strong not only in key markets like the US, Brazil, Canada, and the UK, but also in emerging ones such as India, now among the top five, and Italy, where sign-ups have surged.
Excerpts:
Paul Keable
How has Ashley Madison evolved post the 2015 data leak?
Invezz: How have things changed for Ashley Madison post the data leak of 2015? Has it dented its reputation in any way? What new measures have you introduced to ensure there is no breach going forward?
Ashley Madison has evolved tremendously since the events of 2015 and with our continued growth, our members continue to show us they value what we offer — a dating platform to discreetly connect.
Over the past decade we have worked hard every day to regain and rebuild trust and we continue to lead the business with a member-centric mindset in place.
We have put the necessary protocols in place to ensure security is at the forefront of everything we do.
We now have a separate chief information security officer and a separate privacy officer in place but it’s also the responsibility of every single person across the organization to consider the privacy and the security of everything we do, every time we develop a new product, a new
feature, a new service.
Knowing we’ve put all the right protocols in place and are succeeding, we still don’t take anything for granted.
We understand that we must keep delivering every single day. It involves a lot of technology, many watchful eyes, and strong processes.
But most importantly, it’s about unwavering prioritization. Ensuring security and privacy is our number one priority every day.
Seeing growth in demand for broader non-monogamy options outside traditional affairs
Invezz: You are present in 45 countries at present and have more than 90 million members. What is the business roadmap and milestones you are eyeing going forward?
We plan to continue expanding our global marketing efforts.
India is one of the more recent markets that we’ve actively conducted PR initiatives in over the last year and we’ve seen a positive reception and tremendous growth.
We also continue to enhance and evolve our platform based on the changing needs of our members who are seeking broader non-monogamy dating options outside of traditional affairs.
This is an area of product growth we are currently exploring.
India now in top 5 countries with most sign-ups; Italy also growing fast
Invezz: Based on your observation and registration data, could you give us a snapshot of which countries have the highest users using your app, which countries are seeing the highest growth.
The US is still our biggest market globally, however India is quickly moving up, currently ranking 5th in terms of countries with the most sign ups in 2025.
In fact, India has seen a 20% increase in new signups this year.
Other markets in the top 5 include Brazil, Canada, and the UK.
Invezz: What are the most surprising insights you’ve gained from analyzing user engagement or feedback over time. Which are the most successful geographies and which markets have been challenging and why?
India continues to be a successful market for growth over the past year going from the 8th spot, to the 6th spot, and now today breaking into the top 5 for signups to the platform.
First time purchases are also up 155% in India the highest it’s been since 2013.
Additionally we’ve seen tremendous growth in markets like Italy where new signups are up 50% this year.
On women’s increasing engagement on the platform
In terms of surprising member insights, many are surprised to learn that women engage on the platform just as much as men and in certain markets, even more so.
More and more couples are also exploring non-monogamy together, and a lot of times it’s the women leading the way.
Invezz: In an interview with Gleeden last year, we were told that the app wants to position itself as not just a go-to for extra-marital affairs but a platform where non-monogamous couples in general can find more partners. Do you also seek to reposition yourself as a brand?
Our platform is and remains to be a place where like-minded people looking to explore non-monogamy could discreetly connect.
That aspect of our business has not changed, and it remains our primary focus.
As for our evolution, serving our global community continues to be our top priority and our member feedback will continue to inform our product roadmap going forward.
I will say that the data reflects a growing interest in the exploration of different types of non-monogamy so this is a top consideration as we enhance the platform or build in new features to improve the user experience and create better opportunities for connection.
However, discretion will continue to remain at the core of everything we do.
Why is the workplace the platform’s biggest competitor?
Invezz: How do you approach marketing given the sensitivities around your brand identity? Also, how do you address the ethical controversy surrounding its core proposition while maintaining user growth and loyalty?
Our brand will always come with a unique set of challenges but with more than 85 million members who have joined globally we know there is a demand for what we offer and we continue to operate with the needs of that community in mind.
The modern dating landscape is evolving and many individuals are no longer pursuing conventional relationships.
We are a destination for those like minded individuals looking to discreetly connect.
Invezz: Who do you see as your main competitors today—traditional dating apps, other discreet platforms, or something else entirely?
Our main competition has always been the workplace. We spend 40+ hours a week, often in very stressful situations, at work – add to that work travel and post-work drinks, and you have the perfect setting for an affair to occur.
But, an office affair is far more risky as you have prying eyes all about discussing who’s spending time with whom – so we continue to believe
office affairs are NSFW.
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