Latest news with #Yelp-style
Business Insider
5 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
TikTok is rolling out a new way for creators to make money from travel videos
TikTok has launched an integration with that lets users enter check-in and check-out dates and book available rooms at specific hotels. Each hotel has a dedicated landing page with information about prices, amenities, reviews, things to do nearby, and related TikTok videos about the property. Users can also tag the hotel in videos, according to several posts viewed by Business Insider. The company is separately rolling out a creator monetization program in the US called TikTok Go that lets local merchants like hotels pay creators a commission or offer vouchers for promoting their business. Influencers must have at least 1,000 followers, be at least 18 years old, and have an account in good standing to qualify. A TikTok spokesperson confirmed the company is testing a new feature that lets some US travelers book hotel accommodations through the app, and that its TikTok Go program recently expanded to the country. A spokesperson for declined to comment. Creators in the TikTok Go program who want to receive commissions or voucher offers can set their location and view a list of tasks, like posting a video, from hotels or other venues like restaurants. They can then earn a commission if they drive a sale. The company last year filed a US trademark application for "TikTok Go" with a potential use case of "promoting restaurants, retail businesses, the travel industry, and other online and offline businesses," Semafor earlier reported. The arrival of hotel bookings on TikTok taps into the company's broader push to drive e-commerce activity in its app. TikTok has invested heavily in its shopping tool, TikTok Shop, and it's built a variety of Yelp-style products for local businesses. The company leans heavily on influencers to help promote products in videos in exchange for a commission on sales. TikTok Go could open a new revenue stream for travel influencers on the app, though commissions for expensive purchases like a hotel stay may come up less often compared to cheaper TikTok Shop items like hairbrushes, t-shirts, and candy. "I think the program's cool," travel creator Amanda Dishman, who runs a family blog called Salty Vagabonds and gained access to TikTok Go this week, told Business Insider. "The barrier to entry into being able to make commission, they just slashed that in half and really made it accessible to a lot more people," she said. As TikTok has emerged as a popular search tool among Gen Z users, the company has built out a "Places" tab for users to discover new destinations and activities. Users can also leave reviews and earn badges for being a "local explorer."
Business Insider
20 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
You can now use TikTok to book hotels — and creators could score a payday
Lots of people scroll TikTok to plan their next vacation — or dream of when they can next escape the grind. Now, they can book a hotel directly in the app. TikTok has launched an integration with that lets users enter check-in and check-out dates and book available rooms at specific hotels. Each hotel has a dedicated landing page with information about prices, amenities, reviews, things to do nearby, and related TikTok videos about the property. Users can also tag the hotel in videos, according to several posts viewed by Business Insider. The company is separately rolling out a creator monetization program in the US called TikTok Go that lets local merchants like hotels pay creators a commission or offer vouchers for promoting their business. Influencers must have at least 1,000 followers, be at least 18 years old, and have an account in good standing to qualify. A TikTok spokesperson confirmed the company is testing a new feature that lets some US travelers book hotel accommodations through the app, and that its TikTok Go program recently expanded to the country. A spokesperson for declined to comment. Creators in the TikTok Go program who want to receive commissions or voucher offers can set their location and view a list of tasks, like posting a video, from hotels or other venues like restaurants. They can then earn a commission if they drive a sale. The company last year filed a US trademark application for "TikTok Go" with a potential use case of "promoting restaurants, retail businesses, the travel industry, and other online and offline businesses," Semafor earlier reported. The arrival of hotel bookings on TikTok taps into the company's broader push to drive e-commerce activity in its app. TikTok has invested heavily in its shopping tool, TikTok Shop, and it's built a variety of Yelp-style products for local businesses. The company leans heavily on influencers to help promote products in videos in exchange for a commission on sales. TikTok Go could open a new revenue stream for travel influencers on the app, though commissions for expensive purchases like a hotel stay may come up less often compared to cheaper TikTok Shop items like hairbrushes, t-shirts, and candy. "I think the program's cool," travel creator Amanda Dishman, who runs a family blog called Salty Vagabonds and gained access to TikTok Go this week, told Business Insider. "The barrier to entry into being able to make commission, they just slashed that in half and really made it accessible to a lot more people," she said. As TikTok has emerged as a popular search tool among Gen Z users, the company has built out a "Places" tab for users to discover new destinations and activities. Users can also leave reviews and earn badges for being a "local explorer." The company earlier set up features to help users book concert and movie tickets from videos via Ticketmaster, Fandango, and other providers.
Canada News.Net
31-07-2025
- Canada News.Net
Tea dating app confirms photo leak amid surge in users
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Tea, a controversial dating app that allows women to anonymously review and comment on their experiences with men, has confirmed a significant data breach affecting tens of thousands of user images. The company disclosed that hackers gained unauthorized access to its systems, compromising approximately 72,000 images. A spokesperson for Tea told Reuters over the weekend that the breach involved 13,000 photos submitted for identity verification — including selfies and official IDs — along with 59,000 images taken from user-generated posts, comments, and direct messages. The company emphasized that no phone numbers or email addresses were exposed and that the breach only affects users who joined the platform before February 2024. "There is no evidence at this time that any additional user data was impacted," the company said in a statement. "Protecting Tea users' privacy and data is our highest priority." Tea stated that users do not need to change their passwords or delete their accounts and added that "all data has been secured." The company said it has brought in third-party cybersecurity experts and is working "around the clock" to fortify its infrastructure. The breach was first reported by tech news outlet 404 Media on July 25. Tea, which launched with the mission that "women should never have to compromise their safety while dating," has grown rapidly in popularity. The app allows verified women to anonymously share Yelp-style reviews of men they've dated or interacted with. Some reviews include serious allegations, such as emotional abuse, coercion, or non-consensual behavior. One user wrote in an Apple Store review that she discovered over 20 red flags about a man she had just started speaking to, including accusations of assault and secretly recording women. "I can't imagine how things could've gone had I not known," she wrote. The app surged to the No. 1 spot on Apple's U.S. App Store as of July 24, driven by viral attention on social media. According to analytics firm Sensor Tower, downloads rose by 525 percent in the week of July 17 to 23. Tea claims it received over two million new user requests in recent days and now has a total of four million users. However, the app has also drawn criticism for what some see as a form of digital vigilantism. A columnist for The Times of London described Tea as a "man-shaming site," writing that it relies entirely on anonymous users with no accountability. "With Tea on the scene, what man would ever dare date a woman again?" she asked. Lawyers have also noted the legal risks for users. Attorney Aaron Minc said his firm has received hundreds of complaints related to Tea in recent weeks. "People are upset. They're getting named and shamed," he said. While U.S. law generally shields platforms from liability for user-generated content, individuals can still be sued for defamation or privacy violations. Tea's rapid rise — and the backlash that followed — may have made it a target. "These sites create enemies. They put targets on themselves," Minc added. "It's not surprising to see them get attacked."
International Business Times
28-07-2025
- International Business Times
Tea Dating App Hacked: 72,000 User Photos Exposed, Including IDs, Selfies
July 28, 2025 19:48 +08 Tea, an invite-only app designed to let women anonymously share reviews of men they've dated, has suffered a serious data breach. The company confirmed that hackers gained access to 72,000 user images, including 13,000 selfies and photo IDs submitted during account verification, and around 59,000 images from posts, direct messages, and comments. X The breach was first revealed by tech publication 404 Media on Friday. Tea later confirmed the incident to Reuters, stating that unauthorized access had been detected on its servers. A spokesperson explained that the images belonged only to users who registered before February 2024. Importantly, the company emphasized that no email addresses or phone numbers were exposed. "We have brought in outside cybersecurity experts and are working nonstop to protect our platform," the company said in a statement. Tea has not yet confirmed who may be behind the attack. The app, which operates on a "women-first" principle, allows verified women users to write anonymous, Yelp-style reviews about their dating experiences with men. To sign up, users must submit a selfie and ID for review — a process Tea claims is followed by deletion of the images, although some of these files were still accessed in the hack. Despite the breach, the app's popularity appears to be rising. Tea recently shared on Instagram that over two million people had asked to join the platform in just a few days. Cybersecurity experts warn that breaches involving sensitive identification data can pose long-term risks, including identity theft. Tea's case is especially concerning due to the personal nature of the platform and its user base. The company says it continues to investigate the breach and will update affected users as new information becomes available.
Time of India
28-07-2025
- Time of India
Women's dating app Tea reports 72,000 images stolen in security breach
Tea, an app that lets women anonymously comment and review dates with men, said it has suffered a data breach, with hackers gaining access to 72,000 user images. A Tea spokesperson confirmed the hack to Reuters on Saturday, saying they had detected "unauthorized access to our systems" and about 72,000 images had been exposed, including 13,000 selfies and photo identifications submitted for account verification purposes, as well as 59,000 images from posts, comments, and direct messages. "We have engaged third-party cybersecurity experts and are working around the clock to secure our systems," the company said in a statement, adding that no emails or phone numbers were exposed, and that only users who signed up before February 2024 were affected. The breach was first reported by 404 Media early on Friday. The app, which says its motto is "women should never have to compromise their safety while dating," is a platform where women who sign up and are approved after a verification process can anonymously share information about men they are interested in in Yelp-style reviews. It has gained increasing popularity, saying on Instagram that more than two million users in the past few days had asked to join the app. Signing up for Tea requires users to take selfies, which the app says are deleted after review.
