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Anthony E. Zuiker to receive pioneer prize at Digital Emmy Awards
MUMBAI: Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of the ‘CSI‘ franchise, is set to receive the 2013 Pioneer Prize at the International Digital Emmy Awards for his online thriller ‘Cybergeddon‘. Zuiker will be honored during the live ceremony on 8 April at the television trade event MipTV in Cannes, France.
He created and executive produced ‘Cybergeddon‘, which broke the online distribution mold by launching globally first on Yahoo! in September of 2012 in 25 countries and 10 languages, as a series of three installments. ‘Cybergeddon‘ starred Olivier Martinez and Missy Peregrym and brought to life the growing threat of cybercrime through an immersive storytelling, social media and gaming experience. Norton by Symantec was tapped to lend credibility and security insights and the project was backed by Dolphin Digital Media in a deal brokered and packaged by Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences president, CEO Bruce Paisner said, “Anthony E. Zuiker is one of today‘s most groundbreaking cross-platform storytellers, and we look forward to honoring his creative genius and innovative contributions to the field of digital entertainment with our Pioneer Prize.”
Zuiker said, “It is an absolute honour to be recognised by the International Academy for ‘Cybergeddon‘. This was a project that really changed the game for online content in terms of ownership, global distribution and brand integration, so I appreciate the Academy for supporting digital and the great work that is moving this industry forward.”
In addition to the Pioneer Prize, The International Academy will present three International Digital Emmy Awards for Digital Programme: Children and Young People; Digital Programme: Fiction and Digital Programme: Non-Fiction.
As in previous years, the International Digital Emmy Awards will bring together over 200 international executives across the entertainment, mobile and Internet industries at a ceremony, on the opening night of MipTV 2013.
Zuiker will also be part of MipTV‘s conference programme with a Media Mastermind keynote on the future of storytelling.
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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.
