Tea Dating App Hacked: 72,000 User Photos Exposed, Including IDs, Selfies

Tea, an invite-only app designed to let women anonymously share reviews of men they’ve dated, has suffered a serious data breach. The company confirmed that hackers gained access to 72,000 user images, including 13,000 selfies and photo IDs submitted during account verification, and around 59,000 images from posts, direct messages, and comments.

The breach was first revealed by tech publication 404 Media on Friday. Tea later confirmed the incident to Reuters, stating that unauthorized access had been detected on its servers. A spokesperson explained that the images belonged only to users who registered before February 2024. Importantly, the company emphasized that no email addresses or phone numbers were exposed.

“We have brought in outside cybersecurity experts and are working nonstop to protect our platform,” the company said in a statement. Tea has not yet confirmed who may be behind the attack.

The app, which operates on a “women-first” principle, allows verified women users to write anonymous, Yelp-style reviews about their dating experiences with men. To sign up, users must submit a selfie and ID for review — a process Tea claims is followed by deletion of the images, although some of these files were still accessed in the hack.

Despite the breach, the app’s popularity appears to be rising. Tea recently shared on Instagram that over two million people had asked to join the platform in just a few days.

Cybersecurity experts warn that breaches involving sensitive identification data can pose long-term risks, including identity theft. Tea’s case is especially concerning due to the personal nature of the platform and its user base.

The company says it continues to investigate the breach and will update affected users as new information becomes available.