(NEXSTAR) — It turns out Texas may be home to more consensual open relationships (in addition to cheaters) than you might have thought. Recently, dating technology outlet Dating News analyzed dating app data for all 50 U.S. states to find which one is most popular in each.
While Tinder and Bumble dominated most of the list, Texas’ top dating app is a little more controversial. Dating News found Texas’ most popular dating app was Ashley Madison, which calls itself an “extramarital dating site” offering a “judgment-free zone where married people can chat with singles who are willing to get together on the down-low.”
Texas was the only state where Ashley Madison is the most popular dating site.
Of course, most people will remember the name of the site due to the 2015 Ashley Madison data hack that released its user lists — causing untold amounts of drama for millions of marriages. The after-effects of the hack were so widespread, they’re still being talked about. Earlier this year, Netflix released the documentary series, “Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal,” which further detailed experiences from users and site employees.
The hack also provided some data which suggested to many that Ashley Madison, at that time, was populated by large amounts of fake profiles, according to reporting from The Washington Post, among others. Earlier this year, technology news site Gizmodo obtained over 200 consumer complaints to the Federal Trade Commission — which research revealed involved vast numbers of complaints of “sextortion.”
Among complaints by users were bad actors hiding behind fake profiles, gathering nude or sexual photos and/or videos of a typically male user and threaten to release them unless some sort of payment is received. As recently as even 2020, users from the 2015 data breach were still experiencing threats of extortion.
But it doesn’t seem the bad press has impacted the app’s popularity.
According to parent company Ruby Life, Ashley Madison experienced a surge in usage at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ruby Life says in a 2020 report that the site saw an average of 15,000 new members signing up daily that year. By year’s end, the company says Ashley Madison reached 70 million members globally. The company’s chief strategy officer also told Forbes in 2019 that the company had “addressed” user safety concerns after the breach, improving/adding internal and user-led security measures to the site.
As shown by Dating News’ report, though the major dating apps we’ve all heard of remain popular, there have also never been more specialized dating networks available than there are now.
If you’re a gamer looking for another gamer? Kippo. Are you a single parent? Stir. Are you a higher earner looking for another high earner? Try The League, though it could cost up to $100 per week — or more. Finally, if you’re ultra-serious about finding relationship material and want to have a pre-screened/verified ID pool of people presented to you? There’s Inner Circle.
Curious which dating site is the “best” in 2024? Recently, Match was named “best overall” by Glamour and third best by Forbes Health. Generally, which dating app is right for you will depend on what you’re looking for in dating or meet-ups.