Hackers leak user data from thousands on Tea app, a safe space for women to chat about men
Hackers have leaked the details of thousands of users of an app billed as a safe space for women to chat about men.
Administrators of the Tea App, which is designed to help women “date safely” and reportedly boasts over four million users as of this week, confirmed the breach Friday.
Tea allows users to upload photos of men and search for them by name, with others then able to leave comments, describing specific men as a “red flag” or “green flag,” and sharing other information about them.
It recently topped the free app charts on the Apple App Store. Sign-up for the app required selfies to prove users were legitimate.
Hackers have leaked the details of thousands of users of an app billed as a safe space for women to chat about men, leaking the information online. (AP)
The cyber attack occurred at around 6.45 a.m. PT, when the app’s legacy storage system was compromised and hackers gained access to all user data prior to February 2024.
Approximately 72,000 images, including around 13,000 selfies and photo identification submitted by users during account verification, and around 59,000 images publicly viewable in the app from posts, comments and direct messages, were accessed.
Tea said that no email addresses or phone numbers were accessed and only those users who signed up before February 2024 were affected.
“We are working around the clock with internal security teams and third-party experts to secure our systems,” the company said in a statement. “At this time, we have no evidence that any additional or current user data has been accessed.”
It added: “Your data privacy is of the utmost importance to us. We are taking all necessary measures to strengthen our security posture and ensure that no further data is exposed.”
Around 72,000 images, comments and direct messages were accessed by hackers (Getty/iStock)
“Thank you for your trust—and for your patience as we address this with the urgency it deserves.”
According to 404 Media, first to report on the incident, the breach may have been prompted by men on the anonymous, right-wing troll message board 4Chan, after users called for a “hack and leak” campaign.
On Friday morning a 4Chan user allegedly posted a link that allowed others to download the database of stolen images and other identifying information about Tea users – some of which have been shared online.
The Independent has not been able to verify the authenticity of some of the images and information posted to 4Chan.
