Tea app suffers breach, exposing 1000’s of consumer pictures

Tea, an app that claims to assist girls “be certain 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 1000’s of pictures, together with driver’s licenses.

4chan customers claimed the info got here from an uncovered database hosted on Firebase, Google’s app improvement 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 certainly one of our programs and instantly launched a full investigation to evaluate the scope and influence.” The corporate acknowledged that the uncovered data included knowledge from over two years in the past. It included 72,000 pictures, together with selfies, picture IDs and photos from app posts and DMs.

“This knowledge was initially saved in compliance with regulation enforcement necessities associated to cyber-bullying prevention,” Tea stated. “We’ve engaged third-party cybersecurity consultants and are working across the clock to safe our programs. Right now, there is no such thing as a proof to recommend that present or extra consumer knowledge was affected. Defending our customers’ privateness and knowledge is our highest precedence. We’re taking each obligatory step to make sure the safety of our platform and forestall additional publicity.”

The app permits customers to submit 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 girls keep away from purple flags earlier than the primary date with relationship recommendation and exhibiting them who’s actually behind the profile of the individual they’re relationship.”

Its Play Retailer itemizing highlights a reverse telephone quantity lookup. It has sections for males’s actual names, ages, addresses, social profiles and relationship statuses. Different options embody a reverse picture search and background checks to assist girls “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 instructed 404 Media that it makes use of this to confirm that new signups are certainly girls.

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