Messaging has been turned off on the ladies’s courting security app Tea, following a hack which has uncovered 1000’s of members’ pictures, posts and feedback.
In a brand new assertion the corporate stated: “As a part of our ongoing investigation into the cybersecurity incident involving the Tea App, we have now just lately realized that some direct messages (DMs) had been accessed as a part of the preliminary incident.”
The hack of the app, which permits girls to do background checks on males and anonymously share “purple flag” behaviour, was revealed over the weekend.
It is a US-based women-only app with 1.6 million customers, who’ve been instructed to anticipate additional updates as extra data turns into obtainable.
“Our crew stays absolutely engaged in strengthening the Tea App’s safety, and we look ahead to sharing extra about these enhancements quickly,” the corporate stated.
Including: “Within the meantime, we’re working to determine any customers whose private data was concerned and can be providing free identification safety companies to these people.”
Tea lets girls verify whether or not potential companions are married or registered intercourse offenders in addition to run reverse picture searches to guard in opposition to “catfishing”, the place individuals use pretend on-line identities.
One of the controversial elements of Tea is that it permits girls to share data on males they’ve dated to “keep away from purple flags” but additionally spotlight these with “inexperienced flag” qualities.
It beforehand revealed that hackers had accessed 72,000 pictures submitted by girls.
Some included pictures of ladies holding picture identification for verification functions, which Tea’s personal privateness coverage guarantees are “deleted instantly” after authentication.
Tea stated the breach affected members who signed up earlier than February 2024.
The app has just lately skilled a surge in reputation – in addition to criticism from some who declare it’s anti-men.