Tea, a women’s safety dating app that topped the free App Store listings this week, appears to have been the subject of a major security breach. According to reports on Reddit and 404 Media, users’ faces and IDs have been posted on anonymous online messageboard 4chan.
The security breach is reportedly the result of unsecured database that allows anyone to access the contents, according to 404. Tea requires users to verify their identities with selfies or IDs, which is why driver’s licenses and pictures of people’s faces are among the leaked data.
The claims that users’ details have been leaked on the internet have not yet been independently verified or confirmed by the company. Tea didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.
The premise of Tea is to provide women with a space to report negative interactions they’ve had while encountering men in the dating pool, purportedly to keep other women safe. The app hit the number one spot on Apple’s US App Store this week, drawing international attention and sparking a debate about whether the app violates men’s privacy. If the reports of a breach turn out to be true, it will also play into the wider ongoing debate around whether online identity and age verification pose an inherent security risk to internet users.
In the privacy section on its website, Tea says: “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.”