Women’s exclusive dating app Tea, launched by Sean Cook, has confirmed a significant data breach involving over 72,000 user photos. The breach involves 13,000 verification selfies and around 59,000 publicly exposed profile pictures. Certain verification pictures held sensitive documents like driver’s licenses, utilized for confirming identities, the company revealed in an open statement.
One 4chan user originally reported the leak, which prompted Tea to conduct an internal investigation and issue a statement admitting “unauthorized access to one of our systems”. The corporation later said its older data storage systems seem to have been accessed, with sloppy Firebase configuration as a probable cause.
Users Make Retaliatory Maps Amid Doxxing Fear
Since the leak, people and social media critics have sounded the alarm about possible abuse of the stolen pictures. Social media reports indicate that some are drawing maps tracing women accused of doxxing men through the Tea app, posting individuals’ information in revenge. The maps have raised widespread concerns about increasing old-fashioned bullying and online intimidation, particularly for women who first used the app in search of security.
App critics and users observed that the breach has intensified the fear of personal security, especially since it was marketed as an app for women to be safe.
App Responds with Investigation, Security Audit
Tea officials indicate they started the internal investigation as soon as the 4chan messages emerged. They are auditing the Firebase database setup and other system weaknesses. While no user credentials or bank data seem to be compromised, revealed images are generating serious privacy consequences.
Tea’s privacy policy reads, “Tea Dating Advice uses reasonable security practices to safeguard your Personal Information to avoid loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. Please note, however, that even with our best efforts, no security practices are foolproof.”
Public Backlash and Trust Crisis
With ongoing investigations, the app is under increasing criticism. Cybersecurity experts caution that as soon as personal photos and records are leaked, they become vulnerable to online archiving, misidentification, or doxxing that can last long after the incident has been shut down. Activist groups have called on Tea to release open updates and offer assistance to victims.
Trust in the app has been lost rapidly. Its safety guarantees are now questioned by many users, and they are demanding tighter data governance policies and damages for harm.
