Ashley Madison hack raises Digital Era questions of media ethics

The Ashley Madison data breach and subsequent exposure of users’ identities is the first major data dump that feels truly personal. Reporters covering the story for news outlets around the world documented the romantic, financial, and potential national security fallout from the hack.

Many journalists mined the stolen data released in the breach, using it to search for recognizable names or public figures or to find contact information for private citizens exposed as users of the infidelity site. Now, as stories based on the data will undoubtedly continue at least in the short term, the journalism community is debating how news organizations should treat the private information within the stolen Ashley Madison database. One of the questions raised is whether reporters should use the information to reach out to sources.