Tea App Shuts Messaging After Second Data Breach Exposes 1 Million Messages

The Tea app, a women-only dating discussion platform that recently surged to the top of the U.S. Apple App Store, has suffered a major cybersecurity breach exposing sensitive user data. Initially, over 72,000 images were leaked, including 13,000 selfies and photo IDs used for verification, as well as 59,000 images from posts, comments, and direct messages. A second security flaw was later revealed, allowing unauthorized access to private conversations containing sensitive topics such as abortions, infidelity, and phone numbers. The company confirmed that no email addresses or phone numbers were accessed and that the breach affected only users who registered before February 2024. In response, Tea has taken its messaging system offline to prevent further unauthorized access and is investigating the scope of the incident. This breach has raised significant privacy concerns given the app's emphasis on safety and anonymity for women discussing their dating experiences.