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Tea
said that about 72,000 images were leaked online, including
13,000 images of selfies or selfies featuring a photo
identification that users submitted during account verification.
Another 59,000 images publicly viewable in the app from posts,
comments and direct messages were also accessed without
authorization, according to a Tea spokesperson.
No email addresses or phone numbers were accessed, the company
said, and the breach only affects users who signed up before
February 2024.
“Tea has engaged third-party cybersecurity experts and are
working around the clock to secure its systems,” the company
said. “At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that
additional user data was affected. Protecting tea users’ privacy
and data is their highest priority.”
Tea presents itself as a safe way for women to anonymously vet
men they might connect with on dating apps such as Tinder or
Bumble — ensuring that your date is “safe, not a catfish, and
not in a relationship.”
“Tea is a must-have app, helping women avoid red flags before
the first date with dating advice, and showing them who’s really
behind the profile of the person they’re dating,” reads Tea's
app store description.
404 Media, which earlier reported the breach, said it was 4Chan
users who discovered an exposed database that “allowed anyone to
access the material" from Tea.
“While reporting this story, a URL the 4chan user posted
included a voluminous list of specific attachments associated
with the Tea app. 404 Media saw this list of files. In the last
hour or so, that page was locked down, and now returns a
“Permission denied” error,” 404 Media reported Friday.
Tea said in an Instagram post this week that it has reached 4
million users.
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