The Pros And Cons Of Avid Life Media

In August of 2015, an internet hacker organization known as Impact Team stole sensitive customer information from the popular spousal cheating website service, Ashley Madison (Zetter). The hackers warned Ashley Madison’s parent company, Avid Life Media, that they had the information and would release it if the site was not taken down immediately. Impact Team claimed the site was a scam containing fake profiles, fraudulent information and overall deceit (Zetter). They specifically pointed out a clause where ALM had promised to delete customer information upon request for a fee but failed to do so (Zetter). Avid Life Media refused to give into the hacker’s demands and kept the popular service up and running despite numerous threats by Impact …show more content…
One such debate surrounds the European legal concept known as “the right to be forgotten” (NCC). This concept allows people to request the takedown of online information about themselves that they find insulting (NCC). Another issue unique to Americans, involves the 4th Amendment. Many people who have been exposed by the hack are attempting to use the right as a form of legal action. Unfortunately, the Amendment applies only to the governments desire to obtain personal information and does not offer privacy protection for issues such as this (NCC).
Avid Life Media is taking action by implementing take down requests under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (NCC). The DMCA allows people or companies who claim to own copyright to allow content to be removed from the internet if accessed without their permission (NCC). Many are skeptically of ALM’s tactic to use the DMCA, claiming they are just trying to limit the media’s ability to report on the scandal, as many stories contain links which lead directly to ALM databases …show more content…
The biggest issue internet users face today is privacy. With little existing policy regarding the topic, websites and online services can promise users privacy and not follow through without the threat of legal repercussions. Companies like Avid Life Media should be exposed if they are lying about their security policies. Unfortunately, it seems to be at the expense of ignorant users and even puts uninvolved people at risk of identity theft. There should be policy in place that does not allow these companies to be so frivolous with user’s information. While it is unfortunate that this scandal unknowingly exposes people’s privacy, given the nature of the site most victims are hardly innocent. If this is what it takes to bring the issues of internet policy to light, I applaud the hackers for choosing to do so by exposing a distasteful service that should not exist in the first place. With a heightened interest in internet policy, I am certain society will begin to recognize the deception enacted by companies such as ALM and create new policy to adapt to the ever changing digital

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