The app "Tea," which was supposed to protect women, has become a target instead! The backstage of retaliatory hacks triggered by the "women-only SNS"

1. The App That Went Viral for "Protecting Women" Becomes a Target

The U.S.-based dating safety app for women, "Tea," went viral via TikTok in late July, reaching the number one spot in the Apple App Store's free rankings. However, by August 1, the "joy" turned into "fear" as it was revealed that hackers had leaked over 72,000 images, location data, and even direct messages.

2. Background—A "Women-Only" Safety Device

Tea's main features included multi-layered "red flag detection" functions such as ① selfie and ID upload for identity verification, ② reverse search of phone numbers and images, and ③ criminal record checks. Only women could post, and men were restricted from even viewing the content.

3. The Motivation for the Attack: Anger Over "Excluding Men"

On the anonymous forum 4chan, a "Hack & Leak" thread was created as a form of retaliation against "women exposing men," leading to immediate unauthorized access to Tea's vulnerable storage by intruders. The leaked package was turned into a torrent and spread by the next morning.The Atlantic

4. 13,000 Selfies and IDs, and "Secret DMs"

The leaked data included 13,000 high-risk images such as identity verification selfies and driver's licenses. Additionally, a second database revealed later contained sensitive DMs, including abortion consultations. Tea claimed that "direct linkage is difficult," but the explanation lacked persuasiveness.The Atlantic

5. The Frenzy of "Reverse Doxxing"—Address Maps and Looks Ratings

After the leak, 4chan users mapped the addresses of the victimized women and even launched a site for rating appearances. On social media, mocking comments like "This will shut feminists up" circulated. The fear among Tea users could potentially escalate into real-life stalking incidents.The Atlantic

6. To the Courts—Class Action Lawsuit from Women and a "Reverse" Legal History

Griselda Reyes from California filed a class action lawsuit citing "severe emotional distress." Meanwhile, a similar case where men sued a Facebook group was dismissed, drawing attention to how much responsibility the judiciary will place on platforms.

7. "Ridicule" on TikTok and Warnings from Experts

Frank New, a former Google engineer with 1.5 million followers, pointed out on TikTok that "this wasn't a hack but merely entering an unlocked house," with the video surpassing 3 million views. The user comments section was filled with criticism like "Was there not even basic encryption?"

8. The "Male Satisfaction" Storm on Reddit

On Reddit's "r/TrueUnpopularOpinion," posts like "Serves them right for the hack" and "The uglier the woman, the more malicious" quickly gained traction. Thousands of agreements followed, with the comments section revealing aggressive narratives claiming "men were victims too."Reddit

9. Media Reflecting "Male Rage"

The Atlantic described the series of leaks as a "digital gender war," arguing that "the retaliation exploiting Tea's flaws paradoxically proves why women crave safety."The Atlantic

10. The Cost of Ignoring Security

Information security researchers pointed out that "the old verification database on the cloud was accessible to anyone." There is a high possibility of GDPR and CCPA violations, with estimated fines reaching tens of millions of dollars.

11. Redesigning the "Trust Infrastructure" in the Era of Dating Apps

The Tea incident demonstrated that the infrastructure mediating encounters can only ensure safety through "robust design" rather than "the goodwill of the other party." Without solving complex issues like anonymous forum culture, algorithmic bias, and regulatory gaps, the next tragedy cannot be prevented.

12. Conclusion

The shield protecting women shatters the moment administrators become complacent. The "new norm" in romance tech is "default encryption," "pre-evaluation of discrimination risks," and "opportunities for both parties to respond"—without solid product ethics, safety cannot be purchased.

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