A popular women-only dating safety app, Tea Dating Advice, has suffered a major data breach, compromising the personal data of thousands of users. The app, which allows women to perform background checks on men and anonymously share concerns about their dating experiences, confirmed that images, messages, posts, and comments had been accessed without authorization.
Based in the United States and boasting 1.6 million users, Tea disclosed that 72,000 images submitted by women—some containing photo identification used for verification—had been exposed. This occurred despite the app’s privacy policy, which states such ID images are “deleted immediately” after authentication.
The company clarified that the breach affected users who signed up before February 2024. It said it had “acted fast” and was working closely with leading cybersecurity experts to address the situation.
The app has surged in popularity recently, though it has also faced criticism, including claims that it promotes anti-male sentiment.
Tea is marketed as a safety tool, allowing women to check if potential dates are married, registered sex offenders, or using fake identities through reverse image searches—often used to combat "catfishing." One of the app’s more debated features enables users to anonymously share red flags or positive traits (“green flags”) about men they’ve dated, aiming to help others make safer choices.
Tea initially said the leaked photos could not be linked to specific posts or users. The platform also has built-in screenshot blocking to prevent content from being shared externally. However, on Friday, the company acknowledged that an additional 59,000 images from posts, comments, and direct messages dating back over two years had also been accessed.
“We’re taking every step to protect this community—now and always,” Tea said in a statement.
Tea was founded in November 2022 by software engineer Sean Cook, who said he was inspired by his mother’s troubling experiences with online dating. “I was shocked by how easy it was for catfish, scammers, and criminals to take advantage of women on dating apps—and how little traditional platforms do to protect users,” Cook wrote in a May post on Medium.
Despite its safety-focused mission, Tea and similar platforms have drawn criticism over potential privacy and defamation concerns. Some argue that allowing women to share unverified claims about men can lead to reputational harm.
Earlier this year, Nikko D’Ambrosio filed a lawsuit against Meta, Facebook’s parent company, over comments made about him in the group “Are We Dating the Same Guy.” A federal judge in Illinois ultimately dismissed the case.