Major Data Breach Hits Women's Dating Safety App, Exposing 72,000 Images

The women-centric dating safety app Tea Dating Advice has reported a serious security breach that exposed thousands of users' images and data. The incident, affecting members signed up before February 2024, underscores ongoing privacy issues in dating applications and prompts discussions around user safety.

Hackers have successfully infiltrated Tea Dating Advice, a women's safety app designed to help users perform background checks on men and anonymously report harmful behavior. The breach has resulted in the exposure of personal images, including sensitive identification photos, from approximately 72,000 members.

Labelled as an “unauthorised access,” the hack has raised alarms, particularly because the compromised images were supposed to be deleted immediately after user verification, as stipulated in the app's privacy policy. Tea, which boasts a user base of 1.6 million women, confirmed that the breach affected individuals who registered prior to February 2024. Following the incident, the company has stated that they are collaborating with top cybersecurity experts to mitigate the risks associated with the breach.

The app has been gaining traction in recent months amid scrutiny and mixed reviews regarding its approach to dating safety. Tea allows women to verify potential matches for risky behaviors, including marital status and criminal records, in addition to conducting reverse image searches to uncover possible catfishes. However, it stands out for its controversial feature that enables users to share "red flag" behaviors as well as "green flag" traits of men they have dated.

Despite the app's commitment to protecting user data by blocking screenshot capabilities to prevent external sharing of posts, Tea admitted that a further 59,000 images containing posts, comments, and direct messages from the last two years were also accessed. In response, the company emphasized they are taking all necessary measures to safeguard their community.

The platform was founded in November 2022 by Sean Cook, who sought to create a safer online dating environment after observing the challenges faced by his mother in her search for companionship. Cook previously expressed shock at how readily online scams took advantage of women.

However, the safety-focused approach has prompted legal challenges, as some critics argue that the app could potentially infringe on men’s privacy and lead to defamation. Earlier this year, a man unsuccessfully attempted to take legal action against Meta over claims made in a similar dating group. As this incident unfolds, it continues to highlight the complexities surrounding user security in the dating app arena.