With more than 19 million anonymous members worldwide, AshleyMadison.com launched its operation in Japan Until 2010, Ashley Madison, which is owned by Avid Life Media, only operated in North America. Japan is the company’s first country in Asia. In the first four days, the site registered approximately 75,000 members, a substantial figure considering Biderman had targeted acquiring 100,000 new users per month.
In separating itself from conventional dating sites, where one may easily pretend to not be attached, Ashley Madison specifically seeks out married people who are unhappy with their sex life or in a relationship in which they are being neglected.
The system is simple. After navigating to the site, a profile based on the user’s age, physical characteristics, and location is built. This data set is then used to bring up a selection of hopefully intriguing profiles.
Male users pay 4,900 yen for 100 credits — the currency used to interact with women, who do not pay. To engage in an email conversation with a female user requires five credits. For chatting, the fee is based on the elapsed time, much like a taxi meter. Virtual gifts with a message can also be sent.
