Thousands of women's photos STOLEN from dating app used by 1.6 million as hackers break into messages
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A POPULAR dating app used by 1.6 million women has been hacked, as tens of thousands have their data leaked.
The app was designed to keep women safe by allowing them to do background checks on their dates - but the data breach has now left female users at risk.
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Tea for Dating Advice was hacked on Friday, exposing the personal information of its female user base
Credit: Tea
Who is affected by the data breach?
After hackers gained "unauthorised access" to Tea Dating Advice, they leaked the private information of its women user base.
Boasting 1.6 million subscribers, an estimated 72,000 images submitted by women have been leaked.
This includes photos the women submitted as part of a photo identification process to set up their account for the women-only app.
The platform's privacy policy claims that these photos are "deleted immediately" after the account has been authenticated.
However, personal information about some of its users was posted to the right-wing forum site, 4chan on July 25.
Members of the forum claimed to have discovered an exposed database of users that had subscribed to the app.
They proceeded to share screenshots of the women's personal data and pictures across social media.
The breach affects members who signed up before February 2024.
On Friday, the company confirmed that an additional 59,000 images from the app showing posts, comments and direct messages from over two years ago were accessed.
The company said it was "working with some of the most trusted cyber security experts" as they try to "protect this community - now and always".
Inside romance scam factory...we target lonely singles on dating apps but what they don't know is if we refuse...we die
What is Tea Dating Advice?
Tea Dating Advice provided a similar service to popular Facebook groups like Are We Dating the Same Guy?
On the platform, women post pictures and information about men that they are dating, trying to warn others about their own negative experiences.
This could range from raising awareness of a partner who was abusive, to someone who ghosted after a first date.
Individuals will share their own anecdotal experiences, including anonymous dating reviews, to potentially pre-warn other users about bad behaviour.
To access the app, users must first upload selfies to verify that they are a woman.
Once on the site, they can then share, or search for photos of men - usually through screenshots of social media and other dating apps.
According to the app's website, this serves a number of functions:
Find verified green flag men
Run background checks
Identify potential catfish
Verify he's not a sex offender
Check for a criminal history
Check for hidden marriages
Users can search for men using reverse image search, or by looking up their phone numbers.
It allows them to "share experiences and seek advice within a secure, anonymous platform".
The app also donates 10% of its profits to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, with its main purpose being to protect women.
Founder Sean Cook created Tea in November 2022 after seeing his mum navigate online dating.
Not only was she catfished, but he was horrified to learn that she had been unknowingly engaging with men who had criminal records, making him realise that "traditional dating apps do little to protect women".
Thus, he was inspired to create a platform that made dating feel "safe, informed and empowering".
Users cannot take screenshots while using the app, helping to maintain privacy of its users.
Why has it faced criticism?
The app received backlash by some claiming it is anti-men and an invasion of privacy.
They fear that it puts men at risk of invasion of privacy and defamation, with women taking out their anger after a bad date, rather than exposing legitimate concerns.
These concerns were reflected in a lawsuit against Meta for posts made in the Are We Dating the Same Guy Facebook group.
Nikko D'Ambrosia took legal action against Meta because of a number of claims made about him on Facebook.
The lawsuit was later thrown out by a federal judge in Illinois.
Defamation laws in the US make it difficult for men to make a successful claim if they are posted on the app.
The Sun has reached out to Tea for comment.
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