Tea, a mobile application designed to allow women to vet men they are dating, has rapidly become the most popular free lifestyle app in the US despite facing significant controversy and a recent data breach. The app has gained over 4.6 million users.
The app’s founder, Sean Cook, came up with the idea after he witnessed his mother get catfished online, according to Forbes. Catfishing is the act of fabricating a fake online identity to deceive someone into a false relationship, typically to defraud them.
So, how does it work? Women can upload photos of men they’re dating and ask for Tea, in other words, dirt or gossip on them from other users. Tea isn’t really doing anything new; women have been sharing this kind of intel in private Facebook groups for ages.
What makes Tea different is its tech. It uses AI-driven safety features and real-time identity verification tools, including a ‘Catfish Finder’ that lets users drop in a screenshot to check for fake profiles. Think of it as a discreet way for women to confirm that the person they’re talking to is actually who they say they are.
While the app’s popularity, especially among Gen Z on TikTok, clearly shows a real demand for online dating safety, it hasn’t been without its critics. A columnist for The Times of London recently slammed Tea, calling it a ‘man- shaming site’ and arguing that it promotes ‘vigilante justice’ based purely on anonymous input. “What man would ever dare date a woman again?”, she wondered.
Legal professionals are also starting to hear about the app’s darker side. An Attorney from the US, Aaron Minc, says his office has been ‘blown up’ with calls. “People are upset. They’re getting named and shamed,” he noted.
To top it all off, Tea recently confirmed a data breach. A spokesperson admitted that 72,000 images, including 13,000 selfies, were exposed. They’ve assured users that the breach only impacted those who signed up before February 2024. The company quickly responded, stating, “Tea has engaged third-party cybersecurity experts and is working around the clock to secure its systems. Currently, there is no evidence that additional user data has been compromised. Protecting users’ privacy and data remain Tea’s highest priority.”
This entire situation raises many questions. The story of Tea is still unfolding, and it’s the one to watch in the evolving world of online dating.