At a Glance
- Tea app returns as a website after App Store removal over data leaks
- 1.1 million users affected by July breach exposing messages, IDs, photos
- New verification requires women to submit selfie with government ID
- Why it matters: Women seeking dating safety tools must weigh privacy risks after repeated security failures
Tea, the controversial app that lets women anonymously review men like Yelp ratings, has relaunched as a website months after Apple removed it following major data breaches. The platform, which peaked at number 1 on the iOS App Store last summer, suffered leaks that exposed 72,000 images including driver’s licenses and user photos.
Relaunch with New Verification System
The company now requires women to prove their gender through a third-party verification system. Users must either record a selfie video or submit a selfie photo alongside a government ID, according to Jessica Dees, Tea’s head of trust and safety.
“Our community’s trust is something we treat with real seriousness and we’ve invested deeply in building the right expertise and systems,” Dees told News Of Fort Worth. The verification process aims to ensure only women can access the platform where users post photos of men and flag potential red flags like existing relationships or sex offender status.
Security improvements include:
- Tightened internal safeguards
- Reinforced access controls
- Expanded review and monitoring processes
- Partnership with third-party verification vendor
AI Features Amid Ongoing Privacy Concerns
The relaunch includes new artificial intelligence features on Android. An in-app AI dating coach provides advice for dating scenarios, while an upcoming “Red Flag Radar AI” will analyze chats to surface warning signs in potential suitors.
“In both cases, AI is designed to supplement community insight and can help inform a community member’s point of view on something they might not be sure about,” Dees explained.
Tea remains unavailable on Apple’s App Store. The app initially launched in 2023 and gained viral popularity before its removal.
The Breaches That Changed Everything
The first major breach occurred on July 25, exposing:
- 72,000 images total
- 13,000 selfies and ID photos
- 59,000 images from posts, comments, and direct messages
Days later, a second breach affected 1.1 million users, revealing private messages about abortions, cheating partners, and exchanged phone numbers. Some content appeared on 4Chan and Reddit, according to reports from 404 Media first cited by News Of Fort Worth.
The leaks included:
- User photos
- Driver’s licenses
- Home addresses
- Direct messages
- Other private documentation
Legal Fallout and Controversy
Tea faces 10 potential class action lawsuits in federal and state courts. Plaintiffs allege breach of implied contract and negligence. One lawsuit claims Tea failed “to properly secure and safeguard … personally identifiable information.”
The controversy sparked intense online debate about privacy rights and gender-based violence on dating platforms. It also led to TeaOnHer, a male-created rival app letting men anonymously review women. Both apps were removed from the App Store following complaints about policy violations, privacy concerns, and content moderation failures.
Founder Motivation and Current Status
Tea founder Sean Cook created the app after his mother’s “terrifying” online dating experience, where she was catfished and unknowingly communicated with men who had criminal records, according to the company’s website.
The company stated in a news release: “Tea’s rapid rise has brought the complexities of online dating into the global cultural conversation.”
Despite the relaunch, security experts remain cautious about the platform’s ability to protect user data after repeated failures. The new website aims to help women “access dating guardrails without limitation,” Dees said.
Key Takeaways
- Tea’s relaunch requires women to submit government ID for access
- Previous breaches exposed over 1 million users’ private data
- The app faces multiple lawsuits alleging security negligence
- New AI features supplement the core review function
- Platform remains unavailable on iOS despite website launch
