What is the Ashley Madison dating service?

Ashley Madison is an online dating service that targets individuals who are seeking extramarital affairs or discreet relationships. Founded in 2001, the service uses the slogan "Life is short. Have an affair," highlighting its appeal to those looking for confidential romantic encounters outside their primary relationships. Ashley Madison differentiates itself from traditional dating services by catering specifically to the niche interest of people in committed relationships desiring to engage in secret liaisons. The platform gained significant notoriety in 2015 when it suffered a major data breach, resulting in the personal information of many of its users being exposed, which raised profound concerns about privacy and the security of user data within the online dating industry.