A popular app created to help women share their dating experiences and stay safe has been hit by a serious data breach. The app, called Tea, allows women to post feedback about men theyâve dated. It became famous for its goal of protecting women from unsafe or dishonest relationships. But now, that same app is at the center of a privacy nightmare.
On Friday, Tea confirmed that hackers broke into its system and stole over 72,000 images. Many of these images include sensitive selfies and ID cards that users uploaded to verify their accounts. This unexpected leak has raised concerns about the safety of users and the risks they now face.
Tea App Hack Exposes Private Images and ID Cards
The security breach happened early Friday, targeting an old storage system that was still holding files from users who joined the app before February last year. According to a spokesperson from Tea, the system stored thousands of personal images.
Out of the 72,000 stolen pictures, around 13,000 were verification images, such as selfies and government-issued IDs, including driverâs licenses. These ID images were used by the app to confirm user identities. The rest of the stolen content came from public posts, comments, or messages visible within the app.
The stolen images were later found shared online, including on the well-known but controversial site 4Chan. This platform is infamous for spreading harmful content, and now, screenshots of Tea usersâ IDs have started to appear there and on other websites.
Tea says that no email addresses or phone numbers were accessed. However, privacy experts warn that the leak of ID photos alone is extremely dangerous and could put thousands of users at risk.
Real-World Risks for Users After Leak
Security experts are warning that this breach could lead to serious consequences. Criminals can use the leaked ID cards to commit identity theft, track people online, or even stalk them in real life.
When an ID card is leaked with a face photo, it becomes easier for bad actors to search for more details about the person. They may try to connect that information to social media accounts or other online platforms.
Even without access to phone numbers or email addresses, just having ID documents in the wrong hands creates a huge privacy risk. Victims may now face the danger of being impersonated or having their personal data misused.
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Tea’s creators designed it as a safe space where women could connect, warn others, and feel protected. But the hack shattered that sense of security. Now, many users wonder how the company handled their personal data and why it stored it in an outdated system.
Tea Appâs Rise and Controversy
Tea has become one of the most talked-about apps in recent weeks. It quickly went viral on social media, especially for its bold idea of allowing women to share red flags and stories about men they dated.
This week, it even became the top free app in Appleâs Lifestyle category. Teaâs website claims it has built a community of over 1.6 million women who use the platform to give dating advice and stay informed.
But as the appâs popularity has grown, so has criticism. Some people argue that allowing users to post about othersâsometimes including names and photosâcreates ethical and legal problems. Critics have raised concerns about false claims, defamation, and now, data safety.
The recent hack has added fuel to the fire. Users now question how the app protects sensitive information and why it stored private ID documents in a vulnerable system.
Tea says it has launched an internal investigation and is working to fix the issue. However, the breach has already caused damage to spread, and it has shaken the appâs promise of a “safe sisterhood.”
