Last week, the dating safety app Tea experienced a data breach, exposing 72,000 sensitive images. These included selfies, photo IDs used for account verification, as well as images from posts and messages. The personal data was reportedly shared by users on 4chan.
According to a report by 404 Media, a second security issue exposed additional user data. This breach revealed private messages between users, including discussions about phone numbers, abortions, and unfaithful partners. The tip came from independent security researcher Kasra Rahjerdi.
The app, designed as a platform for women to share information about men they’ve dated, released a statement addressing the initial breach. The company claimed the breach only affected users who signed up before February 2024. However, Rahjerdi’s findings showed messages dating back to early 2023, with over 1.1 million messages recorded up until last week.
Tea launched in 2023 and has since gained significant attention. It currently holds the second-place spot in the top free app charts on Apple’s App Store.