The Viral App Under Fire

The Tea app, a women-only platform for sharing dating advice, skyrocketed to the top of the Apple App Store in the USA. But a massive data breach has exposed sensitive user information, shaking trust in this "safe space." 😱

Tooltip

What Was Leaked?

Hackers accessed 72,000 images, including: 13,000 selfies and government IDs used for account verification. 59,000 images from posts, comments, and direct messages. The breach involved a legacy system with data from over two years ago, affecting users who signed up before February 2024.

How Did It Happen?

The breach originated from an unsecured Firebase database on Google’s platform. A 4chan user posted a link to the stolen data, which spread across platforms like X and BitTorrent. The app’s promise of deleting verification photos after review is now under scrutiny. 😡

The Backlash

The Tea app, designed to help women avoid "red flags" in dating, faced criticism for privacy risks. Some men on 4chan called for a “hack and leak” campaign, escalating tensions. A men-only app, Teaborn, was removed from the App Store after revenge porn allegations.

What’s Being Done?

Tea confirmed the breach and is working with cybersecurity experts to secure systems. No email addresses or phone numbers were compromised, and newer user data appears safe. The company is investigating and has locked down the affected database.

What Should Users Do?

If you used Tea before February 2024: Monitor for suspicious activity involving your images.

Consider identity protection services to prevent misuse.

Stay updated via Tea’s official Instagram for further announcements.

The Bigger Picture

This breach highlights the risks of sharing sensitive data online, even on “secure” platforms. With 4 million users and growing, Tea must rebuild trust to maintain its popularity. 💬 What do you think about app privacy?

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