The Tea app , a platform that recently surged in popularity as a “whisper network” for women to discuss men, has been hacked. The company has confirmed the data breach , with tens of thousands of women's selfies and photo IDs now reportedly leaked online. As per a spokesperson the hack on Friday (July 25), about 72,000 images have been accessed, including 13,000 verification photos and images of government IDs.
What is Tea app designed to do and how it is different
According to a report by NBCNews, Tea was designed as a virtual community where women can upload photos of men, search for them by name, and share "red flag" or "green flag" comments. It recently climbed to become the top free app in the Apple App Store and claimed to gain nearly a million new sign-ups this week alone as well as new sign-ups surpassing 2 million in recent days.
To sign up, users are required to submit selfies for verification, which the app claims are deleted after review. This app prioritises safety for women as all accepted users are promised anonymity beyond their chosen usernames, and screenshotting within the app is blocked.
What Tea spokesperson has to say
According to the Tea spokesperson, the hackers accessed a database more than two years old. The company stated this data was “originally stored in compliance with law enforcement requirements related to cyberbullying prevention.” Tea has also hired third-party cybersecurity experts and is “working around the clock to secure our systems.”
The report says that the breach appears to be linked to online backlash, with a thread emerging on the image-based bulletin board 4Chan calling for a “hack and leak” campaign against the app. The company became aware of the incident early Friday, which was first reported by 404 Media.
A 4Chan user posted a link Friday morning, allegedly allowing downloads of the stolen image database, and reportedly, purported victims' identification photos have since appeared on 4Chan and X (formerly Twitter). A Map has reportedly been created purportedly showing the locations of affected Tea users, though it only displays coordinates without names or addresses.
Tea app creator Sean Cook states on its website that he was inspired by his mother's "terrifying experience with online dating," including catfishing and unknowingly dating men with criminal records.
What is Tea app designed to do and how it is different
According to a report by NBCNews, Tea was designed as a virtual community where women can upload photos of men, search for them by name, and share "red flag" or "green flag" comments. It recently climbed to become the top free app in the Apple App Store and claimed to gain nearly a million new sign-ups this week alone as well as new sign-ups surpassing 2 million in recent days.
To sign up, users are required to submit selfies for verification, which the app claims are deleted after review. This app prioritises safety for women as all accepted users are promised anonymity beyond their chosen usernames, and screenshotting within the app is blocked.
What Tea spokesperson has to say
According to the Tea spokesperson, the hackers accessed a database more than two years old. The company stated this data was “originally stored in compliance with law enforcement requirements related to cyberbullying prevention.” Tea has also hired third-party cybersecurity experts and is “working around the clock to secure our systems.”
The report says that the breach appears to be linked to online backlash, with a thread emerging on the image-based bulletin board 4Chan calling for a “hack and leak” campaign against the app. The company became aware of the incident early Friday, which was first reported by 404 Media.
A 4Chan user posted a link Friday morning, allegedly allowing downloads of the stolen image database, and reportedly, purported victims' identification photos have since appeared on 4Chan and X (formerly Twitter). A Map has reportedly been created purportedly showing the locations of affected Tea users, though it only displays coordinates without names or addresses.
Tea app creator Sean Cook states on its website that he was inspired by his mother's "terrifying experience with online dating," including catfishing and unknowingly dating men with criminal records.
You may also like
Viktor Gyokores lists five reasons he chose Arsenal as Gunners finally complete transfer
Every word Thomas Frank said on Solanke and Udogie injuries and which Spurs player was a positive
Xavi Hernandez and Pep Guardiola's applications were not genuine: AIFF
4th Test: Gill And Rahul Lead India's Fightback With Unbeaten Fifties, Keep England At Bay (Ld)
Bank holiday plans explained ahead of England's Euro 2025 final vs Spain
