US-Based women-only app hacked; 72,000 pictures leaked

Tea app, a platform marketed as a safe, anonymous space for women to share experiences about men was hacked, leading to a massive data breach.

72,000 private images from Tea app were revealed, which included 13,000 verification selfies and photos of government-issued IDs

Tea App allows women to search men by name, upload and share photos, label men as “red flag” or “green flag” and run background checks and reverse image searches.

It requires selfie verification during sign-up to prove users are women. It also claims to delete verification images after review and blocks screenshots.

The hacker accessed a 2-year-old database, originally kept for law enforcement compliance. They leaked materials on 4Chan, with a download link shared publicly.

Some images have surfaced on 4Chan and X. An anonymous user also created a Google Map which even showed coordinates of users.

Meanwhile, X users are discussing how the app data can be used correctly.

One user says, "The correct use of the Tea app hack isn't doxxing ugly users. It's scrutinizing the faces of the PRETTIEST users for consistent visual tells of unpleasant character, so you can avoid such women in the future."

Another says, "Tea will consist wholly of scandalous reviewers and reputation assassins. Think feminists, gay men, and loser women" along with a picture of leaked user photos.

Tea confirmed the breach and called it a “targeted cyberattack.” It has hired third-party cybersecurity experts and is working “around the clock” to secure systems and prevent further exposure.

The company has reiterated that it is protecting their users’ privacy and data is their highest priority.

Founded by Sean Cook, the app was inspired by his mother’s traumatic online dating experience involving catfishing and criminal records. Tea claims to donate 10% of its profits to the National Domestic Violence Hotline (confirmed by NBC News).

The app receives plenty of backlash from men online, particularly on 4Chan and X, with calls for hacking and threats of retaliatory male-only apps.

A rival app called Teaborn was removed from the App Store after being linked to revenge porn. Despite the breach, demand for the app remains high, with over 2 million new signups.

Many users are still on waitlists. Tea’s Instagram page is now flooded with user concerns over safety and privacy.

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