Tea App Reveals Some Direct Messages Exposed in Recent Cybersecurity Breach
Tea, a dating discussion app aimed at helping women talk safely about their dating experiences, announced on Monday that some direct messages were accessed during a recent cybersecurity breach.
The app, which soared to the top of the U.S. Apple App Store last week, first disclosed on Friday that thousands of users’ selfies and photo IDs had been exposed in a digital security incident.
404 Media initially reported this second security issue, based on findings from an independent security researcher who discovered that hackers could access private messages involving sensitive topics such as abortions, cheating partners, and phone numbers.
Tea confirmed in a social media statement, “We recently learned that some direct messages (DMs) were accessed as part of the initial incident.”
The company added, “Out of an abundance of caution, we have taken the affected system offline. At this time, we have found no evidence of access to other parts of our environment.”
The exact number of messages exposed remains unknown.
Previously, Tea revealed that around 72,000 images were leaked online during the breach, including 13,000 selfies or selfie photos combined with photo identification submitted during account verification. An additional 59,000 images publicly visible in posts, comments, and direct messages were also accessed without permission.
The company stated no email addresses or phone numbers were compromised, and the breach affects only users who registered before February 2024.
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