Tea app allows women to anonymously gossip about men in their cities

pMorning Rundown Hostages released amid ceasefire CDC layoffs get reversed and Patrick Mahomes turns back the clockppppProfilepp news AlertsppThere are no new alerts at this timeppWhen Cid Walker opens the Tea app shes greeted by a barrage of posts about men and their apparent red and green flagsppHes a cheater Walker said reading some of the comments on one post out loudppWhat clubs does he go to another person asked on a different post Hes cuteppThe app which appears to have been advertising itself online since at least last fall allows users to solicit feedback about specific men theyre datingppWalker 22 is among the 4 million users on the womenonly safety app which this week became the No 1 free app in the Apple App Store ppIt picked up viral traction in the last month after some people began talking about it online on Reddit and TikTok The app gained more than 900000 new signups in the last few days Tea said on social media Getting off the waitlist can now take days an inconvenience many new users complained about in comments on the apps Instagram postsppUpon opening Tea users are presented with local men whose photos have been uploaded along with their first names For each of the men other women on the app can report whether they deem him a red flag or a green flag and leave comments about him such as those recounting negative date experiences or vouching for him as a friendppIve seen so many people I know on the app its crazy said Walker a Clevelandarea user who joined the app last week after having seen multiple viral posts about it Like oh my God I would never think all this stuff about themppApp users can look up individual names in the search bar or create custom alerts for specific men The app also offers functions that let users run background checks search for criminal histories and reversesearch photos to check whether a man is catfishing by using someone elses photos on his dating profileppSigning up for Tea requires users to take selfies which the app says are deleted after review to prove they are women All users who get accepted are promised anonymity outside of the usernames they choose Screenshots are also blocked ppBut on Friday morning a spokesperson for Tea confirmed that the company identified unauthorized access to one of our systems and immediately launched a full investigation to assess the scope and impact About 72000 images  including 13000 selfies and photo identification images submitted at signup and 59000 images shared on the app itself were accessed and potentially leakedppThe spokesperson said the photos were originally stored in compliance with law enforcement requirements and that the app is now working with thirdparty cybersecurity expertsppThe womanonly app was created by a man Sean Cook who said on Teas website that he was inspired after he watched his mothers terrifying experience with online dating including being catfished and unknowingly dating men with criminal recordsppCooks profile on LinkedIn lists him as the founder of Tea since 2022 The description under his role says Tea was selffunded by SeanppCook did not respond to a request for comment on ThursdayppTeas mission mirrors similar efforts that have gained popularity in other online forums such as Are We Dating The Same Guy a Facebook community with millions of members across the country in localized offshootsppWhile the communities have stated that their mission is to keep women safe they have also faced backlash from men online who say they fear being misrepresented or doxxed on the platformsppThe Facebook groups which advertise themselves as spaces for women to warn other women about liars cheaters abusers or anyone who exhibits any type of toxic or dangerous behavior have for years been criticized online for devolving into places for gossip or for spreading possible misinformation about people Last year judges dismissed two defamation lawsuits filed in Illinois and California by men who were posted in the groupsppWith Tea some men have posted in forums asking for others to report the app in hope of getting it shut down and others have expressed interest in a menonly equivalent on which they could discuss and mock womenppOne app has already tried to offer that The Teaborn app climbed to No 3 in the free apps chart Wednesday before it disappeared from the App Store ppShortly ahead of its removal the app had rolled out an update with enhanced content moderation and reporting tools after its creator condemned users for allegedly sharing revenge porn on the platform ppTeaborn told NBC News in a social media statement Apple just removed us yesterday because Tea app doesnt like competition but we are working to go back with a new brandppApple didnt respond to a request for commentppDespite finding apps like Tea entertaining users like Walker have expressed discomfort with the idea of allowing so many people to anonymously speak negatively about others online ppTogether were redefining modern dating the app says on its website where it also describes itself as more than an app its a sisterhood The app claims it donates 10 of its profits to the National Domestic Violence Hotline ppCrystal Justice chief external affairs officer for the hotline said in an email statement that it does not typically make our donor information publicppHowever Because the donation acknowledgement letter has been made public on teaforwomencom we are able to confirm its authenticity Justice said The Hotline does not have a formal partnership with Tea for Women and we cannot validate the safety of their app nor their sales or portions donated to organizations like oursppWhen on the app Walker said that she has noticed many users focus more on gossip than real safety concerns but that she believes some people have found Tea useful for exposing serious issues like abuseppI feel like if people were to use the app how its supposed to be used this could actually save a lot of women from being hurt or harmed Walker said But at this point I think its like a joke to everybody and just like cyberbullyingppAngela Yang is a culture and trends reporter for NBC Newspp 2025 NBCUniversal Media LLCp