The women's dating safety app Tea has confirmed a major data breach exposing 72,000 images and user comments due to unauthorized access, raising concerns about privacy and security in online dating.
Women's Dating Safety App Faces Major Cyber Breach, Exposes User Data
Women's Dating Safety App Faces Major Cyber Breach, Exposes User Data
Tea Dating Advice, a popular US-based women's app, experiences significant data hack, revealing thousands of sensitive images and information.
Article text:
A significant cyber intrusion has compromised data from Tea Dating Advice, a women's dating safety app designed for user protection. The breach has resulted in the exposure of thousands of images, posts, and comments from members using the platform, which boasts about 1.6 million active users.
Tea launched an investigation following reports of “unauthorized access” to 72,000 images submitted by women, some of which included personal identification photos meant for verification and subsequently promised to be deleted per the app's privacy policy. This breach appears to impact users who registered before February 2024, prompting the company to assure members that they have rapidly responded and are collaborating with leading cybersecurity firms to address the issue.
Amidst a dramatic increase in users, Tea faces criticism from various quarters claiming the app could potentially target men unfairly. The app empowers women by allowing them to check for potential partners' marital status or any registered offenses. It also includes a feature that enables sharing information on men’s behavior to help users identify red flags, while allowing compliments for those who showcase "green flag" qualities.
However, with the recent breach, users are left concerned. Tea has made it clear that the leaked images cannot be linked to specific app posts, and it restricts screenshots to deter external sharing. Disturbingly, the company disclosed that an additional 59,000 images revealing posts, comments, and direct messages dating back over two years were also accessed.
“We’re taking every step to ensure the safety of this community – now and always,” stated Tea in an official response to the breach.
The app was founded in November 2022 by software engineer Sean Cook, who was motivated by negative experiences observed in online dating, particularly the prevalence of catfishing and scamming. Cook shared his concern via a Medium article published earlier this year, highlighting the lack of protection in traditional dating platforms.
Interestingly, the app has faced pushback, not only from some men who argue that such groups can lead to privacy violations and defamation but also from women who are concerned about fairness in dating. Earlier claims illustrate this tension; a man, Nikko D'Ambrosio, recently filed a legal suit against Meta for adverse comments made about him in a dating-related online group, although a federal judge ultimately dismissed the case.
As dating apps now implement rigorous age checks and data security measures, users are left to ponder their comfort levels with sharing personal information in the digital age.
A significant cyber intrusion has compromised data from Tea Dating Advice, a women's dating safety app designed for user protection. The breach has resulted in the exposure of thousands of images, posts, and comments from members using the platform, which boasts about 1.6 million active users.
Tea launched an investigation following reports of “unauthorized access” to 72,000 images submitted by women, some of which included personal identification photos meant for verification and subsequently promised to be deleted per the app's privacy policy. This breach appears to impact users who registered before February 2024, prompting the company to assure members that they have rapidly responded and are collaborating with leading cybersecurity firms to address the issue.
Amidst a dramatic increase in users, Tea faces criticism from various quarters claiming the app could potentially target men unfairly. The app empowers women by allowing them to check for potential partners' marital status or any registered offenses. It also includes a feature that enables sharing information on men’s behavior to help users identify red flags, while allowing compliments for those who showcase "green flag" qualities.
However, with the recent breach, users are left concerned. Tea has made it clear that the leaked images cannot be linked to specific app posts, and it restricts screenshots to deter external sharing. Disturbingly, the company disclosed that an additional 59,000 images revealing posts, comments, and direct messages dating back over two years were also accessed.
“We’re taking every step to ensure the safety of this community – now and always,” stated Tea in an official response to the breach.
The app was founded in November 2022 by software engineer Sean Cook, who was motivated by negative experiences observed in online dating, particularly the prevalence of catfishing and scamming. Cook shared his concern via a Medium article published earlier this year, highlighting the lack of protection in traditional dating platforms.
Interestingly, the app has faced pushback, not only from some men who argue that such groups can lead to privacy violations and defamation but also from women who are concerned about fairness in dating. Earlier claims illustrate this tension; a man, Nikko D'Ambrosio, recently filed a legal suit against Meta for adverse comments made about him in a dating-related online group, although a federal judge ultimately dismissed the case.
As dating apps now implement rigorous age checks and data security measures, users are left to ponder their comfort levels with sharing personal information in the digital age.
