Tea dating app hacked by 4chan user, over 72,000 users' verification selfies leaked

The woman-only dating app 'Tea' was hacked, leaking 72,000 selfies uploaded for verification. The company confirmed unauthorized access led to the breach.

Updated on: Jul 26, 2025, 24:37:25 IST

By Shamik Banerjee

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The woman-only dating app, called 'Tea' was hacked, resulting in the leak of 72,000 selfies that users uploaded during verification, the company said.

Tea dating app was hacked, the company confirmed, allegedly by a 4chan user. (X)

'Tea' acknowledged the leak on in a statement after a user on the platform 4chan posted about it. In its statement, Tea, founded by Sean Cook, said that the "identified authorized access to one of our systems" that resulted in the leak.

Tea said that it has conducted a probe into the hack after allegations surfaced on social media, and the preliminary probe found that its "legacy data" systems have been breached.

The statement added that the leaked images were in two groups: 13,000 images were users' selfies uploaded during their profile verification, and 59,000 images were from users' accounts that other users of the app could view. Some of the verification selfies were government ID cards, such as driver's license, which are now publicly viewable.

Here's a screenshot of the 4chan users' posts about the breach:

Company Faces Backlash

Amid claims that the breach was caused by the poor firebase configuration of the app, Tea has said that it has launched an investigation and plans to publish the findings soon.

The Tea app is a women's dating safety app that claims to have been designed to allow women to share information and photos about men they encounter for safety and verification purposes.

Also read: Microsoft Server Software comes under cyberattack from unidentified hacker

The app states in its privacy policy: "Tea Dating Advice takes reasonable security measures to protect your Personal Information to prevent loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction. Please be aware, however, that despite our efforts, no security measures are impenetrable."

Now, the company is facing severe backlash over the data breach.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shamik Banerjee
Shamik is a journalist covering the United States for Hindustan Times. He has more than four years of experience reporting on US politics, sports, and major breaking stories across fast-moving cycles. He previously worked at Times Now and Sportskeeda, building strong newsroom instincts and digital storytelling skills. At HT.com, he focuses on day-to-day coverage of US political developments while also handling high-impact stories that demand speed, accuracy, clarity, and context under pressure. Shamik has extensive experience covering NFL game days over the past two years, coordinating live updates, analysis, and explainers. He is particularly drawn to large news moments such as US elections and the Super Bowl, where he thrives at the news desk working alongside the team. He holds degrees in Media Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia and English Literature from Jadavpur University. Before entering journalism, he briefly worked in digital marketing and political consultancy roles. Currently a Senior Content Producer at HT Digital, he is driven by curiosity, discipline, and a constant desire to explore new and obscure topics. Outside work, he enjoys reading, films, sports, and learning continuously.Read More

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.