Privacy and Safety Concerns: What Protections Do Online Dating Services Owe Users?

Abstract

In 2015, Ashley Madison, an online dating service of a different sort, was targeted by a hacking group. The “white hat” hackers threatened to release the entirety of their user base should the website fail to meet its demand to close its operation. Under normal circumstances the threat would arouse vigorous sympathy for the targeted company and its customers. The thought of having private, romantic correspondence released online for all to see strikes most as a scandalous threat, one deserving an unrepentant response from criminal justice authorities, the business community, and consumers alike.

However, Ashley Madison is an online dating service catering for a different clientele. Its trademarked corporate slogan is provocative: “Life is short. Have an affair.®” For some, this fact changes the moral calculus of how we evaluate the data dump that a secretive group known as the Impact Team provided, as cheaters do not make for sympathetic victims. Others insist that several weighty ethical considerations remain that must be confronted. Using this admittedly dramatic example, the present case study draws links with a couple of core concerns that impact all online dating. First, what protections does a provider owe to its users? Second, what obligations ought to inhere in managing complications arising in real life from activities facilitated through online connections? Both relate to an all-encompassing concern over what, if any, fiduciary obligations online providers should assume when offering their services. Students will be asked about the responsibilities of online dating providers and approaches these providers could use to assure security of sensitive information.

This case was prepared for inclusion in Sage Business Cases primarily as a basis for classroom discussion or self-study, and is not meant to illustrate either effective or ineffective management styles. Nothing herein shall be deemed to be an endorsement of any kind. This case is for scholarly, educational, or personal use only within your university, and cannot be forwarded outside the university or used for other commercial purposes.

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