What was the Ashley Madison data leak about?

The Ashley Madison data leak was a major cyber-security breach that occurred in July 2015, which resulted in the theft and subsequent public disclosure of confidential information from the Ashley Madison website. This website, owned by Avid Life Media, catered to individuals seeking extramarital affairs or discreet relationships. The hackers, identifying as "The Impact Team," accessed names, email addresses, credit card information, and other sensitive details of the site's users. They threatened to release the information unless the site was shut down, particularly targeting its claim to offer a full deletion service for a fee without actually purging user data. When their demands were not met, the hackers released the information of over 30 million users, causing personal and professional repercussions for those exposed and sparking a wider discussion about cyber security and privacy.