Tea app suffers breach, exposing hundreds of person photos

Tea, an app that claims to assist ladies “be sure that your date is protected, not a catfish and never in a relationship,” is experiencing a safety breach. 404 Media reports {that a} database posted on 4chan allowed anybody to entry customers’ knowledge. (It is since been eliminated.) The dataset included hundreds of photos, together with driver’s licenses.

4chan customers claimed the info got here from an uncovered database hosted on Firebase, Google’s app growth platform. 404 Media verified that the uncovered storage bucket URL matches one present in Tea’s Android app.

The corporate confirmed the breach. In an announcement to 404 Media, Tea stated it “recognized unauthorized entry to one in all our techniques and instantly launched a full investigation to evaluate the scope and impression.” The corporate said that the uncovered info included knowledge from over two years in the past. It included 72,000 photos, together with selfies, photograph IDs and photos from app posts and DMs.

“This knowledge was initially saved in compliance with legislation enforcement necessities associated to cyber-bullying prevention,” Tea stated. “We’ve got engaged third-party cybersecurity specialists and are working across the clock to safe our techniques. At the moment, there isn’t any proof to counsel that present or further person knowledge was affected. Defending our customers’ privateness and knowledge is our highest precedence. We’re taking each vital step to make sure the safety of our platform and stop additional publicity.”

The app permits customers to put up photographs of “red-flag” males. “Already swiping for dates on Tinder, Bumble, Match or Hinge?” the app’s Play Retailer pitch reads. “Tea is a must have app, serving to ladies keep away from purple flags earlier than the primary date with courting recommendation and exhibiting them who’s actually behind the profile of the particular person they’re courting.”

Its Play Retailer itemizing highlights a reverse cellphone quantity lookup. It has sections for males’s actual names, ages, addresses, social profiles and relationship statuses. Different options embrace a reverse picture search and background checks to assist ladies “get the tea in your date.” Customers can ballot others about whether or not they need to date new matches.

The app requires new customers to submit a verification selfie and a photograph of their government-issued ID. Tea informed 404 Media that it makes use of this to confirm that new signups are certainly ladies.

The timing of the breach coincided with the app’s surge in reputation. According to Enterprise Insider, Tea hit the highest of Apple’s App Retailer this week. The app first launched in 2023.