Applications
Google India launches 2nd edition of ‘Be NetSmart’ campaign
NEW DELHI: Google India has launched the second edition of its nationwide internet safety campaign, ‘Be NetSmart,’ in association with Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). The campaign was first launched in Mumbai on 18 February, in collaboration with the Mumbai Police and then the campaign was launched in Chennai on 25 August. From Chennai the campaign was initiated in schools across Kolkata on 2 September and is now being brought to schools in New Delhi. |
Says Google India managing director Shailesh Rao, “The ‘Be NetSmart’ campaign is not a story about one organisation. It is a story about the young people of India using a powerful medium like the internet to realise their highest potential. It is vital to empower our youth with all the tools and the knowledge that will help them build a better future. The ‘Be NetSmart’ campaign is a celebration of the internet and its positive impact on the lives of our children.” ‘Be NetSmart‘ is focused on students, parents and teachers. |
| The campaign aims to celebrate the goodness of the internet, applaud its impact on society, and educate India’s youth on Internet safety. The sessions in schools cover topics that range from the positive use of the internet and its increasing role in day to day life, to responsible online conduct such as the need to maintain confidentiality, safely download content, carefully post pictures, and cautiously engage in chatting. “It is time that we celebrate the role that internet plays in our lives as a platform for information sharing, self expression, and communication. The ‘Be NetSmart’ campaign is a nucleus around which we would like to build a nationwide campaign for making the internet pleasurable, useful and safe,” adds IAMAI president Subho Ray. After the metros, Google India and IAMAI plans to join forces with other stakeholders to take the campaign ‘Be NetSmart’ in other Indian cities. |
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.
