Tea App: We Spill All The Details About The Dating Advice Platform

Tea was meant to be the digital equivalent of your best friend warning you, “Don’t text him back.” The women-only dating safety app, Tea Dating Advice, built its reputation on helping women vet men, run background checks, and share anonymous “red flag” or “green flag” stories. But its image has taken a serious hit after hackers exposed thousands of members’ most private images, posts, and messages.

The breach, confirmed by Tea, involved “unauthorised access” to around 72,000 images submitted by women. Some of these were ID photos used for verification, despite the platform’s own privacy policy promising they are “deleted immediately” after authentication. Tea said it acted fast, working “with some of the most trusted cyber security experts,” and that the breach impacted members who signed up before February 2024.

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Image @theteapartygirls via IG

And it was not just profile pics at risk. The company admitted that an additional 59,000 images from posts, comments, and direct messages dating back over two years were also accessed. “We’re taking every step to protect this community – now and always,” Tea said.

Launched in November 2022 by Sean Cook, a software engineer inspired by his mother’s rough online dating experiences, Tea has surged in popularity, recently claiming over four million women in its “community” and topping the App Store’s free lifestyle charts in the US. Its tech-heavy toolkit includes AI-powered reverse image searches to catch catfish, phone number lookups to check for “hidden marriages,” and background checks to flag criminal records.

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But the app has also attracted controversy. Critics have accused it of being “anti-men,” with some comparing it to gossip forums that risk spreading misinformation or invading privacy. The Times labelled it “man-shaming” and, in online forums, men have called for its deletion. Others point to the risk of doxxing, where private details are shared maliciously, and the possibility of false accusations against men “who aren’t abusers.”

While only women can use the app, the sign-up process is not instant. It requires a username, photo, ID, and moderator approval, with screenshots blocked inside the platform to preserve anonymity. Once inside, users can post about men they have dated and warn others or celebrate positive experiences.

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Image courtesy of teaforwomen.com

The hack has reignited debates about how tech platforms handle sensitive data, especially those aimed at vulnerable communities. The leaked content reportedly first appeared on 4chan before spreading elsewhere, with NBC News reporting that Tea has since taken messaging offline “out of an abundance of caution.”

As Cook told Medium: “I was shocked by how easy it was for catfish, scammers and criminals to take advantage of women on dating apps and how little traditional dating apps do to protect users.” Now, ironically, his own platform’s security is the one under scrutiny.