Dating safety app Tea breached, exposing 72,000 user images

San Francisco, CA – Tea, a prominent dating safety application designed to provide women with a secure platform for anonymous feedback on past dates, has recently confirmed a significant data breach. The incident, announced by the company, resulted in unauthorized access to approximately 72,000 user images, raising serious concerns about digital privacy and online security in the realm of AI tools and user-centric applications.

According to Tea’s official statement, the compromised data includes 13,000 selfies and photo identification images submitted by users for account verification purposes. Additionally, 59,000 images from various user interactions, such as posts, comments, and direct messages, were exposed. The company clarified that no email addresses or phone numbers were affected, and the breach exclusively impacted users who registered for the service before February 2024.

In response to the security incident, Tea announced that it has swiftly engaged third-party cybersecurity experts to investigate the breach and fortify its systems. “We are working around the clock to secure our systems,” the company stated, adding that “at this time, we have implemented additional security measures and have fixed the data issue.” This proactive approach aims to restore user trust and prevent future vulnerabilities, underscoring the critical need for robust security in AI-powered social platforms.

The breach came to light following reports from independent media outlets, including 404 Media, which detailed claims by users on platforms like 4chan. These reports suggested that personal data and selfies from Tea’s database were being shared illicitly after an exposed database was discovered. Such actions underscore the persistent threats faced by online platforms handling sensitive user information, highlighting the constant battle against cybercrime.

Notably, this security setback occurred just as the Tea app was experiencing a surge in popularity, achieving viral status and climbing to the number one spot in the free app rankings on Apple’s App Store. The timing of the breach serves as a stark reminder that even rapidly growing and highly utilized platforms, especially those dealing with personal and sensitive user content, are not immune to sophisticated cyber threats, emphasizing the critical need for continuous cybersecurity vigilance.