In the wild world of digital dating, another app just became the latest cautionary tale of privacy gone wrong.

The Tea app, a platform designed to help women navigate the treacherous waters of modern romance, has spectacularly imploded after a massive data breach that exposed thousands of user images and personal information.

From Safety Net to Security Nightmare

Founder Sean Cook originally created Tea with noble intentions - protecting women from potentially dangerous dating experiences after witnessing his own mother’s traumatic encounters. The app allowed users to anonymously share warnings and background checks on potential romantic partners, essentially creating a crowdsourced database of dating red flags.

When Anonymity Backfires

Fast forward to this week, and 4Chan users discovered a vulnerable database that essentially threw open the digital doors to thousands of user selfies and identification documents. Around 72,000 images were leaked, including 13,000 personal photos used for account verification.

The Fallout

While Tea claims no email or phone numbers were compromised, the breach highlights the ongoing vulnerability of supposedly “secure” platforms. The incident has sparked heated debates about digital privacy, online dating safety, and the risks of sharing personal information in the age of social media.

For now, Tea recommends users stay calm - but in the world of tech, that’s easier said than done.