Applications
50% content to be digitally distributed in 5 years
MUMBAI: Ubiquitous access, simpler production tools, and the falling costs of technology have made sure that the boom of the Internet is here to stay, unlike in 2000 when net 1.0 burst.
Google President (Global sales operations and business development) Nikesh Arora feels that users having laptops or personal computers expect net access through Wi Fi. “This feature has gone from ‘nice to have’ to ‘must have’. Secondly the tools of production have become simple. Earlier you needed a camera to take photos. Today you have camera mobile phones that allow you to work on the fly. Thirdly, the cost of technology is steadily falling.”
Speaking at the Ficci Frames 2010, he said 30 to 50 per cent of content will be digitally distributed five years down the line. The time people spend on the web will grow and result in ad spends shifting towards the online medium. At the same time, the net has changed the mode of distribution.
There are differences in terms of how the net facilitates content delivery. “In India, the net will be pushed by the mobile. The advantage for us at Google is that it allows us to take Indian content like the IPL to a global audience,” he added.
The Internet is also affecting consumer behaviour and consumers want information immediately. Figures show 150 billion emails are sent everyday.
But there are challenges like maintaining users’ privacy and respecting copyright, he said.
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.
