Viral dating-safety app Tea disables DMs after private messages leaked in hack
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Tea app (Image via Facebook/Tea - App for Women)Tea, a dating advice app which shot up in popularity in the US, has revealed that it has turned off direct messages in its attempt to mitigate the cybersecurity hack which led to the leak of private messages exposing client details and sensitive content. In a post on its Instagram page, the app’s management made the announcement and said,
“We have recently learned that some direct messages (DMs) were accessed as part of the initial incident. Out of an abundance of caution, we have taken the affected system offline. At this time, we have found no evidence of access to other parts of our environment. Please note that the direct message feature within Tea is temporarily unavailable.”
Also noting that external security experts and the FBI were involved in investigating the hack, the app shared,
“We're committed to keeping you informed as quickly as possible. That said, because this is an active investigation involving external cybersecurity experts and the FBI, there are limits to what we can share - and when.”
The app also informed users that people whose information was leaked in the cybersecurity incident would be provided with free identity protection services. It added,
“Please know that our team remains fully engaged in strengthening the Tea App's security. Additionally, we are working to identify any users whose personal information was involved and will be offering free identity protection services to those individuals.”
About the hacking incident involving the Tea app
The Tea app suffered a massive leak when private messages of a sensitive nature, which included women discussing abortions, partners who cheated, and their phone numbers, were discovered on an open database.
According to 404 Media, an independent security researcher discovered the breach of more than 1.1 million messages, which exposed people’s real identities and the sensitive conversations they had on the app.
The leak of direct messages comes just a few days after around 72,000 images uploaded by women onto the platform to verify their identities were accessed in a hack, as per the BBC. The news outlet also noted that 59,000 images showing comments, posts, and direct messages from the app were also leaked.
According to Dexerto, the app has revealed that the images and private messages were leaked in the same cybersecurity breach. Tea also told its users that the breach only concerns users who signed up to the app before February 2024.
About the Tea App
The Tea App was launched in 2023 in San Francisco by founder Sean Cook. The app provides online dating safety tools and features for women. Cook was led to develop the women's safety app after he witnessed his mother’s experiences with catfishing and dating men with criminal histories, as per Authority Magazine.
During an interview with the publication, Cook provided insight into his thought process around his decision to develop the app. He noted,
“After years of working for other companies, I realized I wanted to create something that had a direct, positive impact on the world. After witnessing my mother’s struggles with online dating, I was inspired to create Tea, an app designed to provide dating safety tools for women. It was a way to combine my technical expertise with my core values — protecting others and making the world a better place.”
While talking to Authority Magazine, Cook went on to briefly articulate the main features of the Tea App. Describing the features of the app which would elevate safety for women and reduce the risks associated with dating, Cook shared,
“Tea provides dating safety tools women can use to look their online dating matches up to make sure they’re not a catfish, a criminal or in a relationship. Tea makes running background checks, criminal record checks, phone number lookups, s*x offender searches, and reverse image searches easy.”
It is noteworthy to mention here that the Tea App also features a forum where women can anonymously share their dating experience and also get advice from other women in the group.
Since its launch in 2023, the app has positioned itself as a ‘sisterhood’ empowering fellow women to conquer the modern dating world, which comes with its advantages and disadvantages. The app, right from the time of its launch, has attempted to fill an important gap that has emerged in the new dating scenario, which has become heavily reliant on modern technology.
While online dating options have significantly increased the possibility for women to find their partners, it has also exposed them to increased safety concerns. With the tools at its disposal, the Tea App works on making dating safer for women.
TOPICS: Tea, dating app, hack