Dating Safety App Tea Exposed 72,000 User Photos in Breach

Key Facts

• 72,000 images exposed, including 13,000 selfies and photo IDs.
• No emails or phone numbers leaked; only pre-February 2024 accounts affected.
• Data surfaced on 4chan after an exposed database was discovered.
• Tea reached #1 in Apple’s free App Store rankings at breach time.

How the Breach Unfolded

Dating safety app Tea confirmed a data breach on July 26, 2025, revealing that hackers accessed thousands of user images. Attackers exploited a system vulnerability in Tea’s image storage service, exposing both verification selfies and private message attachments. The timing was critical: the app had just hit the top spot in Apple’s free App Store charts as user interest soared around anonymous feedback on dates. Security researchers at 404 Media flagged an exposed database, which 4chan users quickly shared, intensifying the fallout.

Tea’s Response

In an official statement, Tea said they have engaged third-party cybersecurity experts to perform a full forensic audit. Emergency patches have been deployed to close the vulnerability, and additional security controls like rate limiting and encryption at rest are in place. Affected users—limited to those who signed up before February 2024—are being notified directly. The company emphasized that no email addresses or phone numbers were compromised, aiming to reassure the community as it rebuilds trust.

Lessons for Organizations

This incident highlights a crucial lesson for all digital platforms: protecting user privacy is paramount. As apps collect increasingly sensitive data—selfies, IDs, personal messages—they must adopt a defense-in-depth strategy. Continuous monitoring, strict access controls, and robust incident response plans can make the difference between a minor glitch and a major breach. Organizations should also consider regular drills and red-teaming exercises to test their readiness.

Securing the Future

Moving forward, businesses and developers need to prioritize security by design. Integrating security reviews into the development lifecycle ensures vulnerabilities are caught early. Data encryption, secure authentication flows, and least-privilege permissions should be standard. By embedding these practices, companies can protect user trust and meet evolving regulatory requirements.

• Conduct regular security audits and penetration tests
• Implement encryption for all stored user data
• Deploy real-time intrusion detection systems
• Educate teams on secure coding and data handling best practices