Tea, a dating app designed to provide a secure environment for women to exchange details about men, has experienced yet another significant data leak. A recent report reveals that over 1.1 million private user messages have been leaked online. These exposed chats contain deeply sensitive discussions, including topics such as unfaithful partners, abortion experiences, and instances where users shared their phone numbers to continue conversations outside the app.
“We have engaged third-party cybersecurity experts and are working around the clock to secure our systems,” San Francisco-based Tea Dating Advice Inc. said in a statement.
Data leak was first uncovered by users on 4Chan
According to a report by 404 Media, the data leak was first uncovered by users on 4Chan, who found an unprotected database that “gave open access to the content” from the Tea app.
Tea provides women with tools to verify if someone is married or listed as a sex offender, and also offers reverse image search to help uncover fake profiles—a defense against “catfishing,” where users create deceptive online personas.
One of the app’s most debated features is its community-driven reviews, where women can share their experiences with men they’ve dated. These reviews aim to help others steer clear of problematic behavior (“red flags”) or recognize positive traits (“green flags”).
Platform restricts screenshots to prevent content from being distributed
In response to the recent data breach, the company stated that the leaked images “cannot be traced back to any specific posts on Tea.” The platform also restricts screenshots to prevent content from being distributed outside the app.
Tea promotes itself as a secure platform that allows women to discreetly verify the identities of men they encounter on dating apps like Tinder or Bumble—helping confirm they’re genuine, not involved in crimes, and not already committed or married. “It’s essentially like individuals having their own personal Yelp profiles,” said Aaron Minc, founder of Cleveland-based Minc Law, a firm that focuses on online harassment and defamation cases.
