Controversy
Since its launch, Gleeden has received criticism for allowing married members. The site has been severely criticized for allowing married people to identify their status and interests on their profile.
As stated by Gleeden, “In an age where divorce is 40-60% among newlyweds and 33% among those married for 10 years, many times extramarital affairs can intervene as therapy for a couple. Gleeden is a facilitator of confidence where married couples can disregard the taboo and explore their desires safely.”
In 2015, the company was sued by the National Confederation of Catholic Family Associations (CNAFC), which contested the site's legality. Although adultery has not been a crime in France since 1975, the association described the adverts as “publicly promoting infidelity and cheating” and as a clear incitement to disrespect the French civil code, which demands of spouses “mutual respect, fidelity, help and assistance”, a disposition mostly used in divorce cases. The CNAFC lost the case in 2017, and the French Court of Cassation rejected the appeal in 2020, reiterating that infidelity is not illegal in France.