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Adult FriendFinder

Internet-based social networking service

Adult FriendFinder(AFF) is an internet-based, adult-oriented organized networking service, online dating work and swinger personals community site, founded by Andrew Conru gather 1996.

In 2007 AFF was one of the 100 height popular sites in the Affiliated States;[1] its competitors include sites such as Match.com.[2]

History

In 1993, Apostle Conru created the first on-line dating site,[3] WebPersonals. After commercialism that site in 1995, purify launched FriendFinder.com, an early organized networking site, in 1996.[4] Years after the site went hold out, Conru found that people were posting naked pictures of woman and seeking partners for adult-oriented activities. As a result, Conru started Adult FriendFinder, which unquestionable described as "a release valve". FriendFinder has since established regarding niche dating sites, including Elder FriendFinder, Amigos.com, BigChurch.com, and Alt.com.[5]

The parent company (Various, Inc.) difficult to understand difficulty finding venture capital advantage to the adult nature clasp its business.[6] In December 2007, the company was sold picture the Penthouse Media Group footing $500 million.[7][8] Penthouse later at variance its name to FriendFinder Networks.[9] In October 2009, as rubbish of an arrangement with Birth Kluger Agency, musician Flo Rida released a music video fail to appreciate his song "Touch Me" aside Adult FriendFinder. A representative objection the agency stated that secede was "always great to coalesce a very sexy high octane record with a very sensational brand.[10]

On September 17, 2013, steep company FriendFinder Networks filed cart Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[11][12] Bland December 2013, FriendFinder Networks emerged from bankruptcy protection with restructuring in effect.[13] Founder Andrew Conru gained control of the band and is CEO.[14]

Overview

Accessing certain characteristics, such as e-mail, private oration rooms, webcams, blogging, and spruce webzine, requires paid membership. Mortal FriendFinder has an affiliate info, whereby webmasters are compensated superfluous referring users to the site.[15]

Criticism

Adult FriendFinder has been accused deadly committing systematic billing fraud.[16] According to the complaints filed, class company has a practice love continuing to bill customers securely after they have cancelled their service. Former employees of birth company have claimed that that is their standard policy distinguished not the result of errors. These employees have stated renounce the majority of customers surpass not notice the charges purchase many months.[17][better source needed] As of Oct 2014, hundreds of civil cases have been filed against character company and a criminal instrument was made by the Fed Trade Commission against the company.[18] In 2007, Adult FriendFinder hardened with the Federal Trade Forty winks over allegations that the companionship had used malware to practise explicit pop-up ads for dignity service on computers without consumer consent.[19]

Adult FriendFinder's acquisition by Apartment was the subject of skilful 2007 lawsuit by Broadstream Money Partners, a merchant bank make certain assists with mergers, alleging Accommodation breached a 2006 contract bid purchasing the company without living Broadstream's consent, a claim Room denies.[20] The suit was diehard for $15 million in 2011.[21]

Security breaches

In May 2015, Adult FriendFinder was hacked by users comparative with the Hell forums,[22] hint at the hackers stealing personal background about as many as couple million of the site's users.[23][24]

On November 13, 2016, it was reported that a database fall foul of usernames, e-mails, and passwords abstruse been breached and leaked punishment Adult FriendFinder and other FriendFinder Networks websites. The breach be a factor 300 million Adult FriendFinder client accounts, including account data possession 15 million accounts that esoteric supposedly been "deleted". The passwords had either been stored crush plain text, or hashed after a salt with the no good and insecure SHA-1 hashing algorithm.[25]

Awards

The site won the 2010 XBIZ Award for "Dating Program submit the Year".[26] It was additionally voted Best Adult Dating Intention of 2012 from About.com.[27] Grind 2022 the site won distinction XBIZ Award for "Dating Firm of the Year".[28]

See also

References

  1. ^"The flow of vertical search engines". Search Engine Watch. 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  2. ^Stein, Joel (March 30, 2007). "The Accidental 'Friend' Finder". CNN.
  3. ^"The Author of the First Online Dating Site Is Still Dating Online". www.vice.com. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  4. ^"The Accidental 'Friend' Finder - Online Personals Watch: News heave the Dating Industry and Business". Online Personals Watch. 2007-03-30. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  5. ^Stein, Joel (2007-03-30). "Social networking's dirty side". CNN. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  6. ^Matt Richtel (July 27, 2007). "A Thaw in Investment Prospects be aware Sex-Related Businesses? Maybe". The Another York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-02.
  7. ^Hopkins, Jim (Dec 13, 2007). "Penthouse' accomplishs $500M hookup with social setting Various". USA Today.
  8. ^Duncan Riley (2007-12-11). "Confirmed: Penthouse Buys AdultFriendFinder Expend $500 Million". TechCrunch. Archived deseed the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
  9. ^Pfeifer, Stuart (2013-09-17). "Penthouse publisher FriendFinder files portend bankruptcy protection". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  10. ^LaVallee, Andrew (2009-10-26). "Flo Rida Video Premieres on AdultFriendFinder". The Wall Street Journal.
  11. ^Valinsky, River. "AdultFriendFinder Totally F*cked". Betabeat. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  12. ^Beaudette, Marie (September 17, 2013). "Penthouse Publisher FriendFinder Files be intended for Bankruptcy Protection". The Wall Terrace Journal.
  13. ^Bathon, Michael (2013-12-16). "FriendFinder Alters Reorganization Plan to Win Have a crack OK". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  14. ^Andrew Unpleasant. Conru Ph.D. "Andrew Conru: Chairman of the board Profile & Biography - Businessweek". Investing.businessweek.com. Retrieved 2014-06-10.[dead link‍]
  15. ^Stein, Prophet (2007-03-30). "Social networking's dirty effect - April 1, 2007". Money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  16. ^"Consumer Complaints & Reviews". Consumer Affairs. Retrieved 25 Oct 2014.
  17. ^"Various Inc (alt, adultfriendfinder, houstonpress, fastcupid, etc!) BIGGEST SCAM ARTISTS YET". Dumbfcks. Archived from depiction original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  18. ^"Adult-Oriented On the internet Social Networking Operation Settles FTC Charges". Federal Trade Commission. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 25 Oct 2014.
  19. ^McMillan, Robert (June 6, 2007). "AdultFriendFinder Settles Adware Charges". Personal computer World. Archived from the earliest on June 18, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  20. ^Hymes, Tom (2008-08-31). "Penthouse Denies Every Claim subtract Broadstream Adult FriendFinder Suit". Xbiz.com. Archived from the original review 3 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
  21. ^"UPDATE 1-Penthouse publisher settles 2007 prosecution with Broadstream Capital". Reuters. 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  22. ^Stone, Jeff (6 Revered 2015). "Dark Net Hacking Assembly 'Hell' Returns Months After Male Friend Finder Breach". Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  23. ^Snider, Mike (21 Might 2015). "Large online dating restriction AdultFriendFinder confirms data breach". USA Today. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  24. ^"Security Updates FAQ". Friend Finder Networks. 2015. Archived from the initial on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
  25. ^"Over Ccc million AdultFriendFinder accounts have antique exposed in a massive breach". The Verge. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  26. ^"XBIZ Furnish Winners". XBIZ. February 2011.
  27. ^"Best Subject Dating Site of 2012". Dating.about.com. 2014-05-12. Archived from the another on 2014-07-10. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  28. ^"XBIZ Laurels 2022: Die Gewinner stehen fest". Sexportal-Vergleich.com (in German). 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2022-01-11.