Thousands of women's photos STOLEN from dating app used by 1.6 million as hackers break into messages
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A POPULAR dating app used by 1.6 million women has been hacked, as tens of thousands have their data leaked.
The app was designed to keep women safe by allowing them to do background checks on their dates - but the data breach has now left female users at risk.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
Tea for Dating Advice was hacked on Friday, exposing the personal information of its female user base
Credit: Tea
Who is affected by the data breach?
After hackers gained "unauthorised access" to Tea Dating Advice, they leaked the private information of its women user base.
Boasting 1.6 million subscribers, an estimated 72,000 images submitted by women have been leaked.
This includes photos the women submitted as part of a photo identification process to set up their account for the women-only app.
The platform's privacy policy claims that these photos are "deleted immediately" after the account has been authenticated.
However, personal information about some of its users was posted to the right-wing forum site, 4chan on July 25.
Members of the forum claimed to have discovered an exposed database of users that had subscribed to the app.
They proceeded to share screenshots of the women's personal data and pictures across social media.
The breach affects members who signed up before February 2024.
On Friday, the company confirmed that an additional 59,000 images from the app showing posts, comments and direct messages from over two years ago were accessed.
The company said it was "working with some of the most trusted cyber security experts" as they try to "protect this community - now and always".
Inside romance scam factory...we target lonely singles on dating apps but what they don't know is if we refuse...we die
What is Tea Dating Advice?
Tea Dating Advice provided a similar service to popular Facebook groups like Are We Dating the Same Guy?
On the platform, women post pictures and information about men that they are dating, trying to warn others about their own negative experiences.
This could range from raising awareness of a partner who was abusive, to someone who ghosted after a first date.
Individuals will share their own anecdotal experiences, including anonymous dating reviews, to potentially pre-warn other users about bad behaviour.
To access the app, users must first upload selfies to verify that they are a woman.
Once on the site, they can then share, or search for photos of men - usually through screenshots of social media and other dating apps.
According to the app's website, this serves a number of functions:
Find verified green flag men
Run background checks
Identify potential catfish
Verify he's not a sex offender
Check for a criminal history
Check for hidden marriages
Users can search for men using reverse image search, or by looking up their phone numbers.
It allows them to "share experiences and seek advice within a secure, anonymous platform".
The app also donates 10% of its profits to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, with its main purpose being to protect women.
Founder Sean Cook created Tea in November 2022 after seeing his mum navigate online dating.
Not only was she catfished, but he was horrified to learn that she had been unknowingly engaging with men who had criminal records, making him realise that "traditional dating apps do little to protect women".
Thus, he was inspired to create a platform that made dating feel "safe, informed and empowering".
Users cannot take screenshots while using the app, helping to maintain privacy of its users.
Why has it faced criticism?
The app received backlash by some claiming it is anti-men and an invasion of privacy.
They fear that it puts men at risk of invasion of privacy and defamation, with women taking out their anger after a bad date, rather than exposing legitimate concerns.
These concerns were reflected in a lawsuit against Meta for posts made in the Are We Dating the Same Guy Facebook group.
Nikko D'Ambrosia took legal action against Meta because of a number of claims made about him on Facebook.
The lawsuit was later thrown out by a federal judge in Illinois.
Defamation laws in the US make it difficult for men to make a successful claim if they are posted on the app.
The Sun has reached out to Tea for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
9 hours ago
- Metro
Cat named Leonardo da Pinchy terrorises town by stealing people's underwear
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A cheeky cat called Leonardo da Pinchi has been stealing pants and socks from his neighbours. His relentless laundry raids have made him quite the notorious celebrity in Mairangi Bay, New Zealand. The 15-month-old feline thief has expensive taste too – seeking out silk boxer shorts and thick men's work socks, often with the clothes pegs still attached. He's even stolen a brand-new $300 NZD (£134) cashmere sweater. His criminal life first started when he was let outdoors for the first time last year. The problem has got out of hand for his owner Helen North who struggles to manage her cat's kleptomania. She said: 'My daughter was at home sick and she rang me at work saying, 'It's bad, it's bad, this is the worst thing he's brought in, it's really bad,' she said. 'Because it was beautiful. I was like, 'Ooh, can I keep that?' But I couldn't.' To Helen's horror, the stolen stash just keeps growing – everything from piles of socks, loads of underwear, and even a bizarre five-foot-long stuffed snake. Leo's record so far in one day is nine stolen items. Helen continued: 'He brought in a jersey this morning at ten past eight. The shops hadn't even opened.' Helen has tried everything under the sun to stop his thieving habits including keeping him indoors to leaving out clothes at home for him to steal. She said: 'He only wants stuff that he shouldn't have.' She has no choice now but to post photos of his loot on a local Facebook page, along with an apology and her address. A woman recognised her pink and purple underpants, and a boy was reunited with his missing sports jersey. More Trending One of Leo's regular targets is allergic to cats and she is forced to dry her washing indoors. 'All of our neighbours think he's amazing,' she said. 'Some of them are quite put out that he hasn't actually stolen anything of theirs.' Helen hopes that this is just a childhood phase for Leo and that he will grow out of it. She added: 'I hope he grows out of it because I don't want to do this for like, 15 years. This is a lot of admin.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: You could have the cutest job in the world and become a duck-crossing warden MORE: Zoo kills 12 baboons because there wasn't enough space MORE: Tsunami warnings still in place after 8.8 magnitude Russian earthquake
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Mystery over death of boy, 14, killed in broad daylight e-bike crash as cops hunt Kia driver
No arrests have been made yet by police TRAGIC CRASH Mystery over death of boy, 14, killed in broad daylight e-bike crash as cops hunt Kia driver Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) COPS are urgently hunting for the driver of a Kia after a 14-year-old boy was killed in a horror crash. Jacob Calland was riding an e-scooter with a friend before it collided with a car in Wythenshawe, Manchester, back in March. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Jacob Calland with is mother Carly Credit: Greater Manchester Police 2 Cops are now looking to urgently speak with the driver of this car Credit: Greater Manchester Police The teenager spent eight days in intensive care before he succumbed to his injuries. No arrests have been made by cops but officers have now released an image of a vehicle as part of the investigation. Cops are urgently looking to speak to the driver of the car – a white 2015 onward Kia Venga - in relation to the incident. The driver is not a suspect in the investigation and officers only wish to speak to them to support their ongoing work, said Greater Manchester Police. Detective Constable Steve Pennington from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: "This was a truly tragic incident that has devastated a young boy's family. "Our thoughts remain with Jacob's loved ones, and we continue to support his family as they navigate this unimaginable loss. 'We are very keen to speak to the driver of the white Kia Venga who may have witnessed the moments leading up to the collision. "I want to be clear that they are not under suspicion – we believe they could have vital information that may help us understand what happened. "If you are that driver, or know who they might be, please get in touch with us as soon as possible.' Jacob's heartbroken mum Carly arrived at the scene moments after the crash, said "18 minutes of him leaving this front door, his life was gone". She called for stricter regulations and safety measures for e-scooters and said "if I can save one life it is going to be worth it". Carly previously described her son as "very loving, headstrong, and a cheeky chappy". "He knew what he wanted in life and he was always going to go for it," she said. She said her son's fatal crash was "something I've never seen before". "You see it on TV but that's your life changing in that split instance it was surreal", Carly added. In conversations with Jacob, the mum said she had warned him not to get on e-bikes or electric scooters, because "he didn't have road sense on his feet never mind on something as powerful as these things". E-scooters are legal to buy and use on private land, but it is illegal to ride them on public roads unless they are hired through an authorised rental scheme. Alongside her calls for e-scooter licences and a ban on their sale to children, Carly wants to see more safety equipment on the vehicles. She said: "When we get in a car we have to wear a seat belt. Why when they get on the e-scooters do they just get to go on them with no helmets [and] no safety equipment?" Carly also wants stricter punishments for those breaching e-scooter laws. The heartbroken mum said: "You think it is never going to be you. I thought the same. I never thought that my son was going to die on an e-scooter. "I hope no other parent, brother, sister... has to go through this because it isn't an easy journey. "I just hope that our message and campaign and... putting my pain into [Jacob's] power is going to save somebody else from doing this." Cops urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has any CCTV, dashcam, or doorbell footage is asked to get in touch with officers. This can be done by contacting police via 101 or quoting log 2263 of 19/03/25. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Metro
10 hours ago
- Metro
Four dead in mass shooting at Montana bar with gunman on the loose
A manhunt is underway after four people were shot dead at a small town Montana bar. The shooting broke out at The Owl Bar in Anaconda around 10.30am on Friday, said the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation. All four victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect was last spotted near Stump Town, which is a short distance west from Anaconda. He is believed to be armed. Details around the shooting were not immediately released by law enforcement officials. Officers searched the suspect's home in Anaconda and he was nowhere to be found. They are hunting for him in the woods. Business owners said they were still under lockdown two hours after the shooting. More Trending 'We are Montana, so guns are not new to us. For our town to be locked down, everybody's pretty rattled,' said Barbie Nelson, owner of Firefly Café. 'It's a small town, so we all probably know someone who was there.' Governor Greg Gianforte wrote on X that he is 'closely monitoring the situation involving an active shooter in Anaconda'. Anaconda is roughly 75 miles southeast of Missoula. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: Moment manhole shoots fire onto street as terrified pedestrians run MORE: Ghislaine Maxwell quietly moved out of Florida prison while seeking Trump pardon MORE: First picture of man, 76, charged after children 'poisoned' at summer camp
