Tea, a popular dating app that allows women to review and conduct background checks on men, experienced a massive data breach that exposed sensitive information about its users. The app announced on Monday, July 28 that some direct messages were accessed in the cyber-attack, along with tens of thousands of photos and other personal information.
In a post on social media, Tea said it “recently learned that some direct messages (DMs) were accessed as part of the initial incident.”
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have taken the affected system offline,” the statement said. “At this time, we have found no evidence of access to other parts of our environment.”
Tea Dating Advice allows women users to vet their dates, using crowdsourced information and public records to evaluate men, including their online dating profiles. The intention, according to the app’s website, is to make dating safer for women.
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When did the initial security breach occur?
On July 25, the company announced that a security breach compromised “a legacy data storage system” of about 72,000 images, including photos of users and images from posts, comments and direct messages in the app.
The breach has raised concerns among its users and reignited conversations online about digital safety and privacy. It has also resurfaced some controversies over the premise of the application, particularly among men.
Here’s what to know about the app and the recent data breach.
What is the Tea app?
Tea Dating Advice was unveiled in 2023 but only recently gained popularity after receiving increased attention online. Its name comes from the phrase “spilling tea,” or sharing secrets or gossip.
The app provides users with a way to check the personal history of men, including a “Reverse Image Search” feature that helps catch men catfishing − pretending to be someone else online to attract potential romantic partners. Women on the app can also post anonymous dating reviews, share experiences with men they’ve dated (good and bad, giving them corresponding “green” or “red” flags) and share other information.
“Tea ensures that women have the information they need before meeting someone new,” the company says on its website.
How many people use the site?
More than 1.7 million women have used the app, according to the company.
If you joined the app before February 2024 and are concerned about your driver’s license information or other personal information being misused, you can find tips on the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft website.
In a statement on their website, Tea wrote, “we are currently working to determine the full nature and scope of information involved in the incident.” The statement added, “If you have questions or concerns, please contact our support team at support@teaforwomen.com.”
Contributing: Mike Snider, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tea dating app takes down messaging system after data breach
