A lady checking out the lost data and snaps due to hacking.Source: Unsplash
A popular dating safety app made for women, called Tea, has suffered a serious data breach—putting the privacy of thousands of users at risk.
What Happened?
Tea, an all-women dating app based in the U.S. with around 1.6 million users, was hacked. The hackers gained unauthorized access to 72,000 images uploaded by women on the app. Some of these pictures even showed women holding their photo ID—used for identity verification.
According to Tea’s privacy policy, those verification photos were supposed to be deleted right after authentication. But clearly, that didn’t happen.
The company confirmed the hack only affects users who joined before February 2024, and says it’s now working closely with top cybersecurity experts to prevent further damage. Tea claims it moved quickly once the breach was discovered.
What Is Tea?
Tea is a unique app that lets women:
- Run background checks on men to see if they’re married or registered sex offenders.
- Reverse search profile pictures to catch fake identities, also known as “catfishing.”
- Post and read anonymous reviews about men—flagging problematic behavior (red flags) or praising positive traits (green flags).
The idea is to help women date more safely, but it’s also drawn criticism, with some calling the app “anti-men” or claiming it could harm reputations unfairly.
More Than Just Photos Stolen
Initially, Tea said only the 72,000 images were exposed. But later, the company admitted that another 59,000 images—including posts, comments, and direct messages from over two years ago—were also accessed in the breach.
Importantly, Tea insists these images can’t be directly linked to users’ posts within the app. It also blocks users from taking screenshots, hoping to keep shared information private. But clearly, the hack shows those protections weren’t enough.
Company’s Response
Tea posted: “We’re taking every step to protect this community—now and always.” BBC News has reached out to the company for more details.
Who Created Tea?
Tea was launched in November 2022 by software engineer Sean Cook, who was inspired by his mother’s troubling experiences with online dating. In a recent interview, Cook said he was shocked by how easy it is for scammers and predators to misuse traditional dating platforms.
However, not everyone agrees with Tea’s approach. Critics—both men and women—argue it may violate men’s privacy or lead to defamation. In fact, earlier this year, a man named Nikko D’Ambrosio filed a lawsuit over similar claims on Facebook. That case, however, was dismissed by a federal judge.
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