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FCC fixes new rules for Net neutrality
MUMBAI: The new internet access “net neutrality” rules passed by Federal Communications Commission prevent network operators from blocking or interfering with online content they send into American homes.
Internet activists complained that the regulations were unnecessary.
Also, the 3-to-2 vote by commissioners raised serious questions as to whether the government should really regulate the Internet.
The new rules prohibit broadband companies from secretly blocking Internet services and expects them to keep their operational details open to public.
The regulations bar service providers from hindering any legal online content and also prevents from engaging in “unreasonable discrimination‘‘ which can lead to some Internet content being given approving treatment, including faster download speeds.
The new rules encompass both landline Internet services and the wireless data networks provided by cell phone companies. However, the regulations are less severe towards wireless services because they have less data carrying capacity when compared to landline services.
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said the regulations “would preserve basic Internet values. For the first time, we‘ll have enforceable rules of the road to preserve Internet freedom and openness”.
Some Net neutrality supporters were skeptical towards the new regulations, “For the first time in history, the US government approved corporate censorship of the Internet, putting the future of online free speech at risk,‘‘ the advocacy group Progressive Change Campaign Committee said in a statement.
A lobbying group funded by major broadband providers, which opposes Net neutrality, denounced the ruling. “The FCC is unilaterally trying to change the Internet from being competition-driven to being regulation-driven . . . with no fact-based justification for unprecedented Internet intervention,‘‘ said Netcompetition.org chairman Scott Cleland.
One of the country‘s largest broadband provider Verizon Communications issued a scornful response of its own. “This assertion of authority without solid statutory underpinnings will yield continued uncertainty for industry, innovators, and investors,‘‘ said Verizon executive vice president of public affairs Tom Tauke in a statement.
GOP Commissioner Robert McDowell also called the vote as “one of the darkest days in recent FCC history,‘‘ and disputed that the commission doesn‘t have any lawful authority to force the rules on Internet companies.
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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.
