'Google Glitch' Makes Astroglide Customers' Info Public

VISTA, Calif. — The personal information of more than 250,000 Astroglide customers was made available online via Google searches, in what has been called a "Google glitch."

On April 12, a customer contacted Astroglide after searching her name using Google and finding information regarding her request to receive a free sample of personal lubricant.

Lynne Merrill, an Astroglide representative, told XBIZ the company discovered that the search engine giant had "aggressively indexed" — made note of and re-presented the information as a search result — a portion of Astroglide's sample requests made primarily between August 2003, and January 2004.

Information included customer names, email addresses and shipping information. No credit card or financial information was revealed.

Astroglide.com webmaster Matthew Eckmann told XBIZ that after adding new internal links to the company's archives, it is possible that Google's normal indexing procedure picked up on the site's new information. Eckmann said Astroglide.com's pages usually remain unchanged 85 percent of the time.

Eckmann said that Astroglide first changed the location of all files that could potentially be indexed and then changed the code in the site to prevent any future indexing. Merrill said that because there is no live Google support, Astroglide had to uncover and solve the problem itself, following Google protocol and a removal tool recently made available by the search engine.

As of today, Eckmann said the glitch has been fixed. All pages and caches of customer data have been removed and placed in a secure location on the Astroglide site. Measures have been taken to prevent further indexing of this information.

Astroglide.com's free-sample request has been temporarily deactivated.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

TrustyFans Introduces New Blog

Creator directory TrustyFans has introduced an official blog to its site, titled "From Hidden to Hype."

JustFor.fans' Dominic Ford Featured in Wired Magazine

JustFor.fans Founder and CEO Dominic Ford is featured in a new article in Wired Magazine, titled "The Internet Revolutionized Porn. Age Verification Could Upend Everything."

Dr. Charlotte Gaydos Joins ProDx Health Advisory Board

Dr. Charlotte Gaydos has joined the Advisory Board of ProDx Health.

Aylo Fined $5 Million as FTC, Utah Settle Safety Practices Complaint

The Federal Trade Commission and the state of Utah on Wednesday settled a complaint against Aylo, requiring the company to pay a $5 million penalty and implement measures to prevent illegal content from appearing on its sites.

New AI Companion Platform 'Pornstar.love' Launches

Pornstar.love, a new AI companion platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support, Stripchat to Host 'Navigating Thoughts of Suicide' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Stripchat are hosting a free online support group to help performers deal with suicidal ideation.

Plaiir Names Cade Maddox as Lead of Creator Relations

Networking platform Plaiir has appointed Cade Maddox as its new lead of creator relations.

Go.cam Launches 'One-Line Integration' Verification Solution

Go.cam has introduced a one-line code integration for age verification.

XBIZ Amsterdam to Debut 'Behind the Lens' Screening Series

XBIZ is pleased to announce the debut of “Behind the Lens,” a new screening series presenting discussions with noted directors, taking place at the upcoming annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam.

'White Rabbit' Party Headed for XBIZ Amsterdam

XBIZ is pleased to announce the White Rabbit Party, an XBIZ Amsterdam special event set to take place Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Show More