Applications
Google, O-Zone Networks partner to offer free Wi-Fi access
NEW DELHI: Google has entered into a partnership with Wi-Fi provider O-Zone Networks (O-Zone) to encourage mobile internet usage and get consumer experiences of Google+ and YouTube on their portable devices while away from work and home.
As part of the deal, all Google+ users will get free and unlimited access to Google+ on the Wi-Fi network at all O-Zone hotspots across the country. Further, users will be able to surf YouTube for 10 minutes each week at no charge.
This first-of-its-kind offer will go live this weekend and will be available for three months pan-India, initially at all O-Zone Wi-Fi hotspots.
O-Zone‘s services are available at popular hangouts like Café Coffee Day, McDonalds, Café Oz, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Costa Coffee, Subway, OM Bookshop, etc., and also in buildings managed by DLF, Fortis, the Ansal Group, the Oberoi-Trident hotels and the Radisson group.
O-Zone Networks CEO Sanjeev (Bobby) Sarin said, “This association between Google India and O-Zone Networks reinforces the fact that people are now realising the power of Wi-Fi. We aim to provide a good internet surfing experience to the customers. With India being the fastest growing internet market in the world, people are very conscious of the content they view online. This will enable them to enjoy Google+ and YouTube free of cost at any of our hotspots.”
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
