Tea Dating Advice: Difference between revisions

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{{CompanyCargo
{{CompanyCargo
|Founded=2023
|Founded=2023
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|Type=Private
|Type=Private
|Website=https://www.teaforwomen.com/
|Website=https://www.teaforwomen.com/
|Description=An app founded in 2023 that allows women to share information about and review local men regarding dating. The app requires ID verification for users.
|Description=An app founded in 2023 that allows women to share information about and review local men regarding dating. The app requires identity verification for users.
}}
}}
'''Tea Dating Advice''' (simply known as '''Tea'''), is a women-only social media platform founded in 2023 by Sean Cook.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.teaforwomen.com/about|title=About Us|work=Tea|access-date=2025-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727172834/https://www.teaforwomen.com/about|archive-date=2025-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref> The purpose of the app is for women to share their experiences with dating local men, including checking for criminal records.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/us/tea-safety-dating-app-hack.html|title=What to Know About the Hack at Tea, an App Where Women Share Red Flags About Men|first=Isabella|last=Kwai|work=The New York Times|date=2025-07-26|access-date=2025-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727144832/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/us/tea-safety-dating-app-hack.html|archive-date=2025-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref> Some have described the app as a "whisper network".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-nightmare-tea-whisper-network-apps-save-us-2025-7|title=The rise of snitch apps|first=Amanda|last=Hoover|date=2025-07-25|work=Business Insider|access-date=2025-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727215848/https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-nightmare-tea-whisper-network-apps-save-us-2025-7|archive-date=2025-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref>
'''Tea Dating Advice''' (simply known as '''Tea'''), is a women-only social media platform founded in 2023 by Sean Cook.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.teaforwomen.com/about|title=About Us|work=Tea|access-date=2025-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727172834/https://www.teaforwomen.com/about|archive-date=2025-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref> The purpose of the app is for women to share their experiences with dating local men, including checking for criminal records.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/us/tea-safety-dating-app-hack.html|title=What to Know About the Hack at Tea, an App Where Women Share Red Flags About Men|first=Isabella|last=Kwai|work=The New York Times|date=2025-07-26|access-date=2025-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727144832/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/us/tea-safety-dating-app-hack.html|archive-date=2025-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref> Some have described the app as a "whisper network".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-nightmare-tea-whisper-network-apps-save-us-2025-7|title=The rise of snitch apps|first=Amanda|last=Hoover|date=2025-07-25|work=Business Insider|access-date=2025-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727215848/https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-nightmare-tea-whisper-network-apps-save-us-2025-7|archive-date=2025-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref>
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===Public database leak (''2025'')===
===Public database leak (''2025'')===
In July 2025, a 4chan post detailed a Firebase database leak connected to the Tea app which included 72,000 images, 13,000 being selfies and ID with the remaining 59,000 being from direct messages and posts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.404media.co/women-dating-safety-app-tea-breached-users-ids-posted-to-4chan/|title=Women Dating Safety App 'Tea' Breached, Users' IDs Posted to 4chan|first1=Emanuel|last1=Maiberg|first2=Joseph|last2=Cox|date=2025-07-25|work=404 Media|access-date=2025-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727101532/https://www.404media.co/women-dating-safety-app-tea-breached-users-ids-posted-to-4chan/|archive-date=2025-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Tea breach 4chan post.jpg|thumb|right|The original 4chan post advertising the leak]]
 
On July 25, 2025, a 4chan post detailed a Firebase database leak connected to the Tea app which included 72,000 images, 13,000 being selfies and state IDs with the remaining 59,000 being from direct messages and posts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.404media.co/women-dating-safety-app-tea-breached-users-ids-posted-to-4chan/|title=Women Dating Safety App 'Tea' Breached, Users' IDs Posted to 4chan|first1=Emanuel|last1=Maiberg|first2=Joseph|last2=Cox|date=2025-07-25|work=404 Media|access-date=2025-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727101532/https://www.404media.co/women-dating-safety-app-tea-breached-users-ids-posted-to-4chan/|archive-date=2025-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref> It was alleged by the anonymous user the database contained no credential authentication.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://decrypt.co/331961/tea-app-claimed-protect-women-exposes-72000-ids-epic-security-fail|title=Tea App That Claimed to Protect Women Exposes 72,000 IDs in Epic Security Fail|first=Jose|last=Lanz|date=2025-07-25|work=Decrypt|access-date=2025-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727222442/https://decrypt.co/331961/tea-app-claimed-protect-women-exposes-72000-ids-epic-security-fail|archive-date=2025-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref>
On July 27, Tea made an official statement hidden on their website that stated no email addresses or phone numbers were breached and "only users who signed up before February 2024 were affected".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.teaforwomen.com/cyberincident|title=Official Statement|work=Tea|access-date=2025-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727215259/https://www.teaforwomen.com/cyberincident|archive-date=2025-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref> This questions the reliability of the privacy policy, as the verification photos were not deleted over a year after verifying the accounts.


On July 27, Tea made an official statement hidden on their website that stated no email addresses or phone numbers were breached and "only users who signed up before February 2024 were affected".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.teaforwomen.com/cyberincident|title=Official Statement|work=Tea|access-date=2025-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727215259/https://www.teaforwomen.com/cyberincident|archive-date=2025-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref> This questions the reliability of the privacy policy, as the verification photos were not deleted over a year after verifying the accounts, to which Tea claimed it was due to "cyber-bullying prevention". The email also claimed the requirement for ID images was removed at the end of 2023.


==See also==
==See also==