Tea, the controversial dating safety app that allows women to post anonymous Yelp-style reviews of men, has re-emerged months after suffering major data breaches that led to its removal from Apple’s App Store. The company has now relaunched via a standalone website while rolling out new AI-powered features on its Android app, though it remains unavailable on iOS.
Originally launched in 2023, Tea surged in popularity last year, briefly topping the iOS App Store charts. The app was designed to help women flag potential safety concerns in dating, including whether someone is already in a relationship or has a criminal background. That momentum abruptly stalled in July after two separate security incidents exposed highly sensitive user data. According to reporting by 404 Media, the breaches affected more than a million users and included leaked selfies, government ID images, private messages, and home addresses, some of which were later circulated on public forums.
In response, Tea says its new website incorporates what the company describes as “meaningful improvements” to security. These changes include stricter internal controls, expanded monitoring processes, and the use of a third-party verification provider to confirm that users are women. As part of this eligibility check, new users must submit either a selfie video or a photo alongside a government-issued ID. “Our community’s trust is something we treat with real seriousness and we’ve invested deeply in building the right expertise and systems,” Tea’s head of trust and safety, Jessica Dees, said.
Alongside the web relaunch, Tea has introduced new features to its Android app, including an AI-based dating coach and an upcoming chat analysis tool known as Red Flag Radar AI. “In both cases, AI is designed to supplement community insight and can help inform a community member’s point of view on something they might not be sure about,” Dees said.
The relaunch comes amid ongoing legal and reputational challenges. Tea is facing multiple class action lawsuits alleging negligence and failure to adequately protect personal data. The controversy also fueled broader debate around privacy, online dating safety, and the limits of crowdsourced “whisper networks.” Security experts have cautioned that moving to the web does not eliminate risk, particularly given the attention the platform has attracted.
Dees said the company has “actively conduct[ed] penetration testing at the infrastructure level” and emphasized that moderation processes are in place for disputed or harmful content. Whether those steps will be enough to rebuild trust remains an open question as Tea attempts to move forward from one of the most high-profile app security failures in recent years.
