Applications
Trai extends time for stakeholders to provide financial details
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has asked all stakeholders – broadcasters, aggregators (that is, authorised distributors of the broadcasters), DTH operators, multi-system operators, cable operators and consumer advocacy groups – to submit their financial structure and operational details by 22 September. The latest revision in dates has been taken keeping in view the request by several stakeholders that the information has to be collated and would take time. Trai had initially asked the stakeholders to submit their details by 17 August, which it later extended to 31 August. The Supreme Court had, in its order dated 13 May, directed the sector regulator to consider the matter relating to tariff for cable TV services in non-Cas areas regarding all aspects. Trai had, thereafter, decided to study the matter anew and sought the information to obtain a realistic understanding of the operation of various stakeholders, for which it prepared the formats for collecting information. Trai has drawn the attention of all the stakeholders to the court’s order of 13 May, passed in Civil Appeal No. 829-833 of 2009, wherein the court directed all parties to cooperate with the sector regulator so as to enable it to carry out the exercise. The Tdsat, in its order dated 15 January, had said non-cooperation in the exercise, including non-furnishing of information, will be viewed as violation of the said order.
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.
