Applications
Trai moves SC against Tdsat order on cable pricing
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has moved the Supreme Court to protect its tariff order on cable TV pricing that was overturned by a Tdsat ruling.
A bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan refused to stay the order passed by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Court, but directed the parties to maintain the status quo till 27 February, the notified date of hearing. On 15 January, the Tdsat had dismissed Trai‘s tariff order relating to a ceiling on cable TV services charges across the country on the basis of the regulator violating principles of transparency. Stating that the tribunal‘s verdict will have tremendous impact on consumers and the broadcasting and the Cable TV services industry, Trai said that the tariff order which had been in existence for more than a year should be continued as it had been successfully implemented. The tariff order had provided protection to about 80 million households in a very transparent and reasonable manner by stipulating ceilings on the monthly cable TV charges, senior counsel Harish Salve stated. Around 30 million new households would be deprived of tariff protection and would be at the mercy of service providers and “there is a strong likelihood of arbitrary hikes in cable TV charges”, the regulator submitted. |
On 4 October, 2007, Trai had issued a circular proposing a price band of Rs 132-260 for cable services based on a classification of cities and the number of pay channels provided by MSOs. Besides, Trai had allowed MSOs to take channels from broadcasters on a la carte basis which was widely opposed by broadcasters like Zee, Star, Sony and Sun. |
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.
