'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal': Netflix docu sheds light on fiasco that destroyed marriages
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal' is a documentary set to premiere on Netflix on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
The official trailer for Netflix's documentary 'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, & Scandal' features unfaithful spouses pondering over who caused the downfall of their marriages.
The official synopsis of the series reads, "When a dating site for people seeking adulterous affairs is hacked, millions of users' intimate data is exposed, wrecking marriages and destroying lives."
So, what is 'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal' about? What new information or perspectives does the documentary offer on the Ashley Madison scandal?
Is Ashley Madison a real individual?
Ashley Madison is not a real person but rather the name of a dating website known for facilitating extramarital affairs. The App's idea is based on people cheating on their partners with strangers they found through the platform.
The app was initially created and founded in 2001 by Darren J Morgenstern and Noel Biderman, who later served as the company's CEO.
While the application was initially successful for years, a data breach drastically changed everything. The revelation that hackers had stolen the data of numerous users, including CEO Binderman's emails, led to widespread chaos.
In July 2015, a group identifying themselves as 'The Impact Team' made headlines by claiming they had successfully obtained user data from the dating site Ashley Madison.
The group also issued a threat to leak personal information about the website's clients if Ashley Madison was not shut down permanently.
At that time, Biderman told security analyst Brian Krebs, "It was definitely a person here that was not an employee but certainly had touched our technical services."
What was the Ashley Madison Data Breach controversy?
On July 21, 2015, the hackers demonstrated the seriousness of their threat by releasing sensitive information about 2,500 users. This was followed by the release of approximately 60 GB of data on August 18, 2015, as reported by Wired.
The leaked files contained account details and login information for around 32 million users of the dating site. The data dump also included seven years' worth of credit card and other payment transaction details.
The data released by the hackers comprised a range of sensitive information submitted by users of the site, including names, passwords, addresses, and phone numbers. This breach of personal data raised serious privacy concerns for the individuals affected, as it exposed them to potential identity theft and other malicious activities.
The hackers demanded that Ashley Madison and its affiliated site Established Men shut down permanently. EstablishedMen.com facilitated connections between young women and wealthy men, aiming to fulfill their lifestyle needs.
The hackers wrote in a statement, "Avid Life Media has been instructed to take Ashley Madison and Established Men offline permanently in all forms, or we will release all customer records, including profiles with all the customers’ secret sexual fantasies and matching credit card transactions, real names and addresses, and employee documents and emails."
According to a report by BBC, the Impact Team released the data through a server that provided only basic web and text data, making it difficult to trace and investigate the source of the leak.
According to a report by The Guardian, two people died by suicide in connection with the Ashley Madison hack. The police provided this information during a briefing where they discussed the early stages of the data leak.
The dating app was initially owned by Avid Life Media, a company that later underwent a rebranding process and emerged as Ruby Corp., which is the current owner of the app.
In 2017, Ruby Corporation settled around two dozen lawsuits related to the data breach, agreeing to pay a total of $11.2 million. This settlement marked a significant step in addressing the legal ramifications of the breach.
Who were the top suspects in the Ashley Madison hack?
William Brewster Harrison, who had a history of harassment toward Biderman, was initially considered the prime suspect in the Ashley Madison hack.
Harrison was hired as a PR representative in March 2010 and was simultaneously involved in creating and managing fake female accounts on Ashley Madison, as reported by Krebs on Security.
Harrison allegedly harassed the anti-Ashley Madison website 'Ashleymadisonsucks.com,' attempting to persuade them to sell the domain to Ashley Madison.
Previously, Harrison faced several misdemeanor charges, such as trespassing, unlawful entry, public intoxication, and making obscene phone calls.
In 2011, he was terminated from his position. In 2012, Harrison used a caller ID spoofing service to call the company's former Director of Human Resources, making it appear as though the call originated from inside the building.
All evidence pointed to Harrison as a potential hacker of the site. However, it later became known that Harrison died on March 5, 2014, almost 16 months before The Impact Team announced their hack of Ashley Madison, indicating that he could not have been the hacker.
'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal' delves into the notorious hacking incident of 2015 that shook the foundations of the dating website. The Netflix's documentary explores the events leading up to the breach, the aftermath of the leak, and the impact it had on the individuals involved.
How to stream 'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal'?
All episodes of 'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal' will be available for streaming on Netflix from Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
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'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal' trailer