When Ashley Madison first came on the internet scene, it caused a stir of controversy. It seemed like every talk show host was airing a show on the site and the reasons men and women were flocking to it. Many people were scandalized that such a site existed and that men and women would willingly go and look for someone to cheat with. Though the topic was finally exhausted, Ashley Madison continued to thrive and facilitate hundreds of affairs. In July 2015, a group of hackers breached the security on Ashley Madison’s servers and stole thousands of user’s email addresses and personal information. A month later, the hackers released their findings (See list), leading to a number of women finding out that their husbands were cheating on them. The event shocked the online world, and it’s going to continue to make waves for affair dating sites for many years to come. Some of these changes may be positive, but overall, the hack could lead problems for those trying to have affairs online. So what are some of these problems that can come from this affair dating site hack? Here are some of the biggest problems we foresee.

Other Affair sites under attack

Though it is perhaps the most well-known site, Ashley Madison isn’t the only affair dating site. There are hundreds of other sites with devoted users. If Ashley Madison can be hacked, then anyone can be hacked, which mean hundreds of other men may be in danger of being caught. Ashley Madison may only be the first target by these hackers. There’s a good possibility that other sites may soon fall under attack which could disclose even more email addresses and identities. If other sites fear their servers may be hacked, they may close down altogether. The fact is – whether or not people agree with it – people want to cheat on their spouses. Not all marriages are perfect, and if a man decides to cheat on his wife, that’s his decision. The site is simply fulfilling a need. Even if all the sites were pulled down, people would still cheat. The sites just make it easier and somewhat safer to cheat.

People exposed

You work so hard to cover your tracks. You make sure your wife has no idea where you are, and you keep your mistress happy and satisfied. Then without warning, your email address is posted online, and other sensitive information gets out. Your wife knows and so does everyone else. The Ashley Madison hack was a huge breach of trust for the men who relied on those sites to have affairs. They trusted those sites to protect their information, and the breach of trust could sever the relationship entirely. Affair dating sites and their consumers had a symbiotic relationship: the sites provided the women willing to sleep with married men and the men paid to send messages. Now the trust is broken, and more men will be hesitant about using these sites.

Fewer women

With all this bad publicity for Ashley Madison, it’s clear that even sites that promote complete anonymity may not be so anonymous. Some women only join these sites because they can keep their identities a secret. If that’s no longer the case, then fewer and fewer women may choose to create profiles on these sites. This could lead to a general downturn in the number of women on these sites. Already, Ashley Madison is under attack for misrepresenting how many women are actually on its site. According to an analysis done by Gizmodo, just a few thousand women actually send a message on the site. Ashley Madison responded by saying that in one week alone, women sent a grand total of 2.8 million messages. Though that number doesn’t directly contradict Gizmodo’s original numbers, it does stand to reason that more than one woman was sending those messages.

Its Not All Bad

One good thing that might come from the hack is that affair dating sites might clean up their sites and delete spam accounts. If those sites are using fake women profiles to lure men onto the site, the hack might scare those sites into publicizing their site to women in a legitimate manner. Let’s face it: these sites would be nothing without women. If too many of these sites have nothing but spam accounts, then men will have to go elsewhere to look for an affair. It may be harder to find women willing to sleep with married men, and it may become too risky for married people to have affairs. The Ashley Madison hack may be the first, but there’s a good chance that it won’t be the last. If these hacks persist, then there’s a good chance that other sites will be compromised too. Overall, this could be the end of affair dating sites unless these sites improve their practices.