A dating advice app built specifically for women is now facing serious questions about its own safety measures.
Tea, a women-only dating advice app that brands itself as a safe haven to help users avoid dishonest or abusive men, has temporarily disabled its direct messaging feature after major security breaches exposed deeply personal user data. The company announced the move via TikTok on Tuesday, calling it a precautionary step "out of an abundance of caution."
The pause comes on the heels of two alarming investigative reports from tech outlet 404 Media. The first report revealed that names, selfies, and identity documents from thousands of Tea users had been exposed online. A second, even more damaging report, followed this week, detailing that users' private messages some involving highly sensitive topics like abortions and infidelity had also been compromised.
For an app that markets itself as a “dating safety platform” and claims to offer anonymity to its 4.6 million users, the breach is a troubling contradiction. Tea’s mission is built on giving women the ability to flag bad actors in the dating scene. The app lets users anonymously share warnings about men, add “red flags” to profiles of those who exhibit troubling behavior, and give “green flags” to those considered trustworthy. It has built a strong following on social media, with one viral TikTok describing Tea as the tool that "makes the FBI work for us girlies so much easier."
But now, the tool designed to protect women has arguably put them at risk.
Cybersecurity experts aren’t surprised. Eva Galperin, Director of Cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said the app’s concept essentially a giant anonymous whisper network was already “a little bit sketchy.” She added that the company’s apparent lack of robust security made things worse: “Women are encouraged to share extremely sensitive information about themselves and others. That creates a dangerous situation when the platform doesn’t protect that data properly.”
As of now, Tea has not responded to requests for further comment. The company said in its TikTok announcement that the FBI is investigating the breach, though the agency declined to make a public statement.
With trust shaken and user data exposed, it’s unclear how Tea will recover. What is clear: for a platform built on privacy and safety, this moment marks a serious breach of both.
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