Ashley Madison hack exposes hypocrisy, dysfunction, fraud – and some infidelity

The publication of the private information of more than 30 million users of the extramarital affair-facilitating site Ashley Madison has exposed more than adulterous spouses.

It has exposed the significant gap between the ideology of capitalist society and lived reality. The idea that falling in love, getting married, having children and bringing them up in a family unit are the key to a fulfilling existence is a bedrock of capitalist ideology.

The energy that goes into conforming to this stereotype helps to distract from the lack of control workers have over the day-to-day functioning of society, their working conditions and their ability to pursue and develop their talents and interests.

It also provides an incentive for workers to hold down a job and put up with unsatisfactory conditions at work.

But because the nuclear family is not a natural structure, it frequently fails to live up to this ideal and satisfy its members’ needs. Sometimes, it becomes a source of abuse and unhappiness. Often, it brings boredom and monotony as much as it does rapturous fulfilment. This explains why behaviours that conflict with the expectations of family life are as old as the family itself.

Attempts to pursue relationships outside of these constraints tend to be secretive and involve a level of deception that can cause hurt. But they also must be seen as an expression of frustration with the lack of fulfilment that is a feature of every aspect of life under capitalism, including family life. The sheer numbers of people willing to defy social expectations by signing up to something like Ashley Madison suggests that the hold of right wing ideology is not as strong as those at the top would like to believe, and comes with a massive dose of rank hypocrisy.

Not only does the capitalist system bludgeon us into living in a way that suits the economy rather than our emotional or social needs, but it also creates an industry out of the unhappiness this causes.

Analysis of the leaked data suggests that only about 12,000 of the 5.5 million female profiles on Ashley Madison are linked to a real human being, unlike most of the 31 million male profiles. The small print of the Ashley Madison terms and conditions reveals that some profiles are “for entertainment purposes”.

Contrary to its marketing, Ashley Madison actually provides very little contact between mutually consenting human adults. Rather, it more often than not offers little more than sexualised internet interactions with robots or Ashley Madison employees.

Because capitalism can’t eradicate loneliness, it turns it into a business opportunity. A multimillion dollar empire – Ashley Madison’s revenue exceeded $115 million in 2014 – has been built on exploiting such misery. What should be an indictment of society is instead a triumph of the capitalist market.

While family values are forced down our throats by priests, the mass media and politicians, their ilk are simultaneously lining their pockets through the infidelity industry. That is the real immorality exposed by the Ashley Madison affair.