Solene Paillet from Gleeden aka Garden of Eden app talks facilitating ultra-discreet encounters in India, where 74% of the population prefers arranged marriages
Nice house, nice husband and a nicer car, yet something missing? Well, you’re not alone. Over 3 lakh Indians feel the same way and are finding a new version of ‘happily ever after’ on an extramarital app, Gleeden aka Garden of Eden, run daily by a 100% female team.
Ironically, facilitating ultra-discreet encounters in India, where 74% of the population prefers arranged marriages, is proving quite fruitful. “Gleeden was launched in India because there was a real potential for the brand. Before the official launch, we had a lot of subscriptions of Indian users, without doing any communication here. Being a country with cultural and traditional restrictions, no-parental acceptance etc. Gleeden still found its presence in the Indian market, a sign that there is a real demand,” says Solene Paillet, Head of Communication Management for the app.
The idea is not to shake up the system but just to avoid the lies and resulting stress. A study in 2009 showed that more than 30% of people registered on dating sites apps were actually not single and were lying about their marital status to meet people. “This is how the idea was born: to develop a platform on which members can meet people with the same needs and desires in complete discretion while being transparent and honest about their family situation,” says Paillet.
Not like the roadkill that was Ashley Madison
It’s normal to be wary of the app if you’re familiar with the massive hacking and data breach of the extramarital dating website Ashley Madison circa 2015. But, Paillet says, “Unlike Ashley Madison, we do not keep any personal information about our members (payment information, names etc). All pages on the site are protected in the way that none of its members' personal data can be viewed from the outside.”
Apart from user details being leaked, Ashley Madison was also accused of using female bots or fake profiles to lure unsuspecting subscribers to the site. But Gleeden claims to be ‘against the creation of animators or fake members to increase the traffic on the website and manipulation to trick members into buying credit packs.’ The team vouches for their careful selection of members to maintain a high-quality space with a stringent moderation policy. “Photos and texts that are fake, indecent or provocative are automatically refused. The moderation is effective immediately and members can be banned from the site if they do not respect the regulations. Users also have the possibility to report abuse from other members,” adds Paillet.
To be or not to be a cheater?
While it is drummed up to seem like a global girl gang, picking and choosing worthy men for each other, their website defines themselves as a ‘platform to safely get in touch with cheaters worldwide.’ The moralistic implications of their business cannot be ruled out and Gleeden team knows that. Paillet explains, “Our platform and our service raise questions that extramarital or open relationships are still a taboo in our society. Of course, there is a moralistic opposition to our app. But today, Gleeden has nearly 4.5 million members worldwide. Our service responds to a real demand. That’s why usually we do not respond to the negative feedback. We focus on our members’ feedback instead.” She adds that the idea is just to raise a debate and to overcome the taboo of open relationships where the larger population still struggles with traditions. “The brand is not promoting adultery but it’s only a service which allows married people or couples to connect on a secured platform in complete privacy, with a moderation and customer service 24/7,” she says.
Well, like a wise man or woman once said, ‘Don’t hate the player, hate the game.’
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