Applications
Google changes data retention policy
MUMBAI: Search engine Google has announced that it has changed its policy on storing personal information on its users and would make its server logs anonymous after 18 months. With this, Google has managed to reach a compromise with the European commission over data protection. Previously it had proposed keeping data for up to two years before erasing it. The policy shift was flagged up in a letter sent to the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party in Brussels on Sunday by Google‘s global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer. Last month the working party challenged the search giant‘s policy of keeping its server logs, which include data that links a web search to an individual user, for up to 24 months. One reason why concern has been raised about Google is that it now operates a wide range of services, including search, email, web-based applications and social networking. Like many other web companies, Google has come under scrutiny over the way it handles personally identifiable data. Under the European Data Retention directive, the working party has argued that this data should not be stored without user consent and should be deleted as soon as possible. Google‘s FAQ on privacy explains that its server logs include a user‘s IP address, the search query, the date and time the search took place, and a cookie which allows the firm to identify the computer that requested the search.
“There is tremendous confusion in legal circles across Europe on these issues, and both individuals and companies would benefit from greater clarity from authorities responsible for the Data Retention Directive to answer these very fundamental questions,” said Fleischer.
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.
