A women-only app that exploded in popularity for letting users anonymously share private information about men has suffered a devastating security breach.
Tens of thousands of user-uploaded images — including government IDs and selfies — have been leaked online.
Hackers Leak 72,000 Images, Including ID Photos and Verification Selfies
The breach occurred Friday morning, when hackers targeted Tea, a controversial new app that markets itself as a “safe space” for women to share warnings and reviews of men. According to the company, around 72,000 images were stolen, including 13,000 sensitive verification photos and government-issued IDs.
The stolen data was posted on 4chan, where users quickly spread it across other platforms.
The company says the breach only affected users who signed up before February 2024. They claim no phone numbers, emails, or chat data were exposed — though critics aren’t convinced.
Tea App Under Fire as Critics Warn of Irreparable Harm to Innocent Men
Tea rose to the top of Apple’s app store this month and currently boasts over 4 million users, with nearly 1 million more on the waitlist. The platform allows women to upload photos of men, search them by name, and post anonymous reviews about past relationships and dating experiences.
Users can also run background checks, reverse image searches, and even look up phone numbers — all from within the app.
Supporters say the app empowers women. But critics — including privacy experts and relationship psychologists — warn that Tea could be used to harass, falsely accuse, or publicly humiliate men without proof.
With this latest breach, even the women who trusted the platform to protect their identities are now exposed.
Company Scrambles to Contain Fallout, Engages Cybersecurity Team
In a short statement, the company said it had brought in third-party cybersecurity experts and was “working around the clock” to contain the damage.
“At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that additional user data was affected,” they said. “Protecting Tea users’ privacy and data is their highest priority.”
The app has not yet explained why users’ government ID photos were accessible or stored insecurely — or why it took hours before they disclosed the breach.
