The Tea app, which gained popularity as a ‘safe place’ for women to discuss their experiences with men, has confirmed a significant data breach affecting user security.
Details of the Breach
A spokesperson for the company reported to NBC News that approximately 72,000 images were leaked, including 13,000 verification photos and images of government IDs. This breach was highlighted after screenshots of the leaked images surfaced on a 4chan bulletin board.
Users have also taken to social media to report another issue: a persistent “screen not loading” error. As of now, the company has yet to address this technical problem.
A Growing Platform
Designed as a virtual whisper network, the Tea app allows women to share photos and comments about men, tagging them as ‘red flags’ or ‘green flags.’ The app recently soared to the top of the Apple App Store’s free app chart, acquiring nearly one million new signups and over two million in just a few days.
Tea requires selfie verification to ensure that users are female, promising anonymity through selected usernames while blocking screenshots.
Hacker Access and Security Concerns
A spokesperson revealed that a hacker accessed a database from over two years ago, which was stored to comply with law enforcement regulations on cyberbullying prevention. “Protecting our users’ privacy and data is our highest priority. Tea is taking every necessary step to ensure the security of our platform and prevent further exposure,” the spokesperson emphasized.
Community Reactions and Concerns
The Tea app has been hacked, and you can go download 59.3 gigabytes of user selfies right now.
The hack is real. A picture from someone I know who signed up just to see what was on there was in it.
This was an obviously vibe-coded app and was bound to be insecure. pic.twitter.com/yrUxW1cFZc
— Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil) July 25, 2025
The breach was reported early Friday, following a 4chan thread from Thursday evening where users initiated a ‘hack and leak’ campaign in response to the app’s premise. A 4chan user posted a download link Friday morning, allegedly sharing stolen identification photos, which also surfaced on X. LoudFact is working to verify the authenticity of these images.
The app’s creator, Sean Cook, developed Tea after hearing about his mother’s difficult experiences with online dating, including catfishing and dangerous encounters. The app donates 10% of its profits to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, confirming its commitment to supporting women.
Amid the hack, some men are expressing concerns over potential misrepresentation or doxxing, while many users are worried about heightened risks of cyberbullying. In a controversial move, a men-only app called Teaborn was briefly launched as a retaliatory response but was quickly removed following backlash over concerns related to revenge porn.
