- By Sakshi Srivastava
- Sat, 26 Jul 2025 12:59 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a major privacy breach, Tea, a US-based women-only dating intelligence app, confirmed that hackers accessed 72,000 user-uploaded images, including thousands of ID photos, exposing users to serious privacy and security risks. The breach has raised concerns over user data protection and safety, especially in a platform that promises to protect women from dangerous dating experiences.
What Was Leaked?
According to Tea’s spokesperson, hackers on Friday morning accessed a "legacy" storage system containing images uploaded by users who signed up before February 2024. Of the 72,000 photos stolen:
1. Around 13,000 were ID verification photos—including selfies and official IDs like driver’s licenses.
2. The rest were images from public posts, messages, or comments shared within the app.
The company emphasized that no email addresses or phone numbers were compromised. However, the stolen ID photos were reportedly posted on 4Chan, a notorious online forum associated with “incel” culture and misinformation. Screenshots of these leaks circulated on Reddit and other sites shortly after.
Experts Warn Of Serious Threats
Cybersecurity experts have flagged the breach as deeply troubling. Trey Ford, head of security at Bugcrowd, noted that the exposure of legal names, ID cards, and other personal identifiers can lead to identity theft, stalking, and doxxing. “Identity theft is only the tip of this iceberg,” said Ford. “Connecting usernames to actual legal names and home addresses exposes these women to a variety of concerns.” Privacy advocates have long warned of the risks associated with apps like Tea, which allow users to post photos and names of people they've dated or matched with, potentially creating a new type of public record without consent.
What Is Tea App?
Tea markets itself as a women-only platform designed to create a safer online dating experience by enabling users to anonymously share "red flags" or feedback about men they’ve interacted with. With over 1.6 million users, it combines dating advice with safety tools like:
1. Reverse image search to spot catfishing.
2. Phone number lookup to uncover hidden marriages.
3. Background checks for criminal records.
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On its website, Tea states that Women should never have to compromise their safety while dating.” The app also claims to host the largest women’s group chat in US. Tea recently became the most downloaded free app in the Lifestyle category on Apple’s App Store, according to SensorTower.com and Sky News, after going viral on social media.
