Applications
Akon is most searched, downloaded by mobile users
MUMBAI: Research, done by mBit Infotech, a pioneer in Value Added Services (Vas) has revealed that Akon is the most searched and downloaded popular icon/personality in the mobile search and download space.
In the Bollywood category, Katrina’s mobile popularity is way ahead of Shahrukh’s, as revealed by the research.
The research is based on the searches performed by over 1,20,000 users of mBit in the first quarter of 2010 (Jan – April). The results showed that ‘SEX‘ is still the-most-popular-searched Keyword, out of 6730 unique keywords, which accounts for 30 per cent of the total searches performed including words porn, porno, naked etc.
music is the second most searched for keyword accounting to the 19 per cent of the total searches. Mostly international music icons like Akon, Linkin Park, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Rihanna and Michael Jackson top the list in this category. Also, sports specially cricket along with movies and videos are the third most searched for category which is 15 per cent of the total searches.
Surprisingly, searches with keywords for Bollywood and Hollywood icons were way below accounting to only five per cent of the total searches according to the mBit research.
mBit Infotech CEO Raghavendra Agarwala says,”It is amazing to see that out of this total five per cent, Katrina Kaif is ruling the charts with a major pie, presumably implying that Katrina’s popularity is mounting for both national and international audiences. This has placed Katrina on the number one spot followed by Angelina Jolie, Kareena kapoor, Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Bipasha Basu, Aishwarya Rai, Monica Bellucci and Amir Khan by a considerable amount. Also, besides the ‘A‘ searches which are highly searched for on mobile phones as well, Music is something that the users are actually looking at.”
Apart from the above, news related topics along with some general keywords takes the rest of the percentage slot.
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.
