Tea app, also known as Tea Dating Advice, which allows women to share their dating experiences and do background checks on men they’re seeing, has been hacked, exposing user personal data, uploaded selfies, and IDs.
According to a company spokesperson, hackers gained access to roughly 72,000 images, including 13,000 selfies and photo identifications submitted during the verification process.
The company reportedly says that the breach affected users who signed up before February 2024 and claims to have “acted fast”, now “working with some of the most trusted cybersecurity experts”.
It also adds that the breached photos “can in no way be linked to posts within Tea”. The screenshot taking function is blocked on the app, preventing users from recording and sharing the posts.
However, Tea later added that crooks also managed to access 59,000 images from posts, comments, and direct messages from over two years.
“We have engaged third-party cybersecurity experts and are working around the clock to secure our systems,” the company said.
“We’re taking every step to protect this community – now and always.”
Tea is a women-only mobile phone app where women can anonymously share and search for information, advice, and photos of men they’re interested in dating to catch catfish, scammers, or even find hidden marriages and do background checks for look for criminal records. Women also get access to a list of registered sex offenders.
It has become the most popular free app in the US, claiming to have over four million women “in our community.”
Here’s How You Can Protect Yourself from Such Frauds….cyber sathhi.com
In a shocking cyber incident, hackers have stolen over 72,000 private user images from the women-focused dating app Tea. This breach raises serious concerns about data privacy, app security, and the growing risk of identity-based cybercrimes.
At CyberSathhi.com, we believe that digital safety is a shared responsibility between developers and users. Here’s what went wrong—and how to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
What Users Can Do to Stay Safe on Dating Apps
1. Be Careful with Photos
Avoid uploading intimate, location-identifiable, or face-only photos until trust is built. Use avatars or partially blurred images at first.
2. Don’t Use Your Real Name Too Early
Create usernames that don’t reveal your identity. Share your real name only when you’re sure the platform is safe.
3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
If the app allows it, turn on 2FA. This prevents unauthorized logins even if your password is leaked.
4. Delete Old or Unused Profiles
If you’ve stopped using a dating app, delete your account completely—not just uninstall the app.
5. Read Privacy Policies
Boring? Yes. But necessary. Check if the app shares data with third parties, how long it stores your images, and whether you can request deletion.