Latest news with #AreWeDatingtheSameGuy?
Scottish Sun
28-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Thousands of women's photos STOLEN from dating app used by 1.6 million as hackers break into messages
APP-APPALING! Thousands of women's photos STOLEN from dating app used by 1.6 million as hackers break into messages Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) 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. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 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 target lonely singles on dating apps but what they don't know is if 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.
Gulf Insider
27-07-2025
- Gulf Insider
Popular "Tea" App For Women Posting Dirt On Former Boyfriends Hacked
Imagine if it were an app for men to stalk and collect negative information on former girlfriends? The media would be cheering if they were hacked. Women are in an uproar over the recent breach of a 'women's safety app' called Tea, which is currently the most downloaded app on the Apple Store and is used primarily as a hub for posting 'red flag' information on specific men. Tea promotes itself as an place that allows women to anonymously review men and spill 'the tea' on those they've dated. About 1 million women have started using the app in the past week and is reminiscent of the Facebook 'Are We Dating the Same Guy?' groups available in many cities. Tea, though, uses AI and private information to verify that people making profiles are real women. Users can run background checks, search for criminal histories and reverse-search photos to check whether a man is catfishing. It was founded in 2023 by Sean Cook, who cites his mother getting catfished online as the motivation for the app. According to a social media post from Tea, the app has about 4 million users. Critics argue that the app is a tool for digital stalking and defamation, allowing jilted women to anonymously spread misinformation about their former dates, boyfriends and husbands in order to ruin their future relationship chances and avoid legal repercussions. It acts essentially as a Yelp for men in which anyone can claim anything. Men cannot join the app or respond to accusations. The underlying danger of the app, beyond the potential for slander, is that it is yet another mechanism that pretends as if men are the problem when it comes to modern dating. Women users say they need the app to filter out poor candidates for meet-ups and relationships, but the use of a digital stalking tool would also be treated by any man as an immediate red flag for a woman. It would seem that some female users of Tea are about to have their gossip corner blow back on them. The hacking breach of the app exposed tens of thousands of women and their details, which allows men to identify and avoid them. Furthermore, pictures of Tea members are circulating widely on social media as a source of meme comedy (a number of the users are less than attractive). Women commenters assert that the hack is more proof that women's 'safe spaces' are under attack. The incident was likely inspired by a thread on 4Chan discussing Tea, with some members creating a call to action to expose it. A 4Chan user posted a link Friday morning, allegedly allowing people to download the database of stolen images, and troves of alleged victims' identification photos have been posted on 4Chan and X. While the data leak is small compared to the number of total users, it does create doubts as to the security of personal information in the future. Whether or not this affects Tea's user activity is another matter. In all likelihood, the company will be shut down by litigation (websites with similar women's whisper networks have been crushed by lawsuits over the years). In the past, dating was relegated to limited environments; neighborhoods and towns in which bad behavior would eventually be exposed (if real) by word of mouth, and accusations could be addressed and debunked (if false). With the advent of online dating and social media, the gossip mill has gone global and an average person's reputation can be destroyed on an epic scale. Everyone is in everyone else's business and there is no privacy or escape. The fact that online stalking by women is treated as acceptable while a similar project by men would be treated as a national emergency clarifies the greater problem at hand. Feminism has led to male demonization and a crippling double standard in social interactions where bad behavior by women is excusable. Is it any wonder that dating in the US is imploding and over 63% of men today are opting out of relationships?
