From ghosting to catfishing and breadcrumbing, the world of online dating has spawned a whole host of undesirable behaviours. But now there appears to be an app for women that aims to hold them to account.
Tea, a US app officially known as Tea Dating Advice, is marketed as a 'dating safety tool' for women. It does this by allowing users to do background checks on men before dating them, and anonymously share 'red flag' behaviour.
The app has been around since 2023, but has recently soared in popularity. According to App Store tracker SensorTower.com, Tea Dating Advice has become the most popular free app in the US, and is the number one lifestyle download.
The app has made headlines this month after it was hacked, leaving thousands of member's images, posts and comments exposed. It has also faced criticism for being an invasion on men's privacy.
How does the Tea app work?
Using AI, the app checks that its users are women. Once this has been verified, its female users are free to post pictures of men, which are usually taken from social media or dating apps. The app then runs AI-powered reverse image searching to catch catfishers using fake images on dating profiles, and phone number searching to check if men are in 'hidden marriages,' have criminal records, and a map of registered sex offenders.
Who came up with the Tea app?
The app is the brainchild of Sean Cook, a Silicon Valley developer. He founded and self-funded the app in 2023 after his mother was catfished and talked to men with criminal records while dating online. The app includes many positive reviews from women who have used it, but it is also facing a huge backlash online.
Why is the Tea app causing concerns?
One of the main concerns about the app is the issue of privacy. The app blocks screenshots so things can't be shared outside the app. However, Tea says it has 'the largest women's group chat in the US, where users share experiences, anonymous dating reviews, and support.' This group allows women to review their experiences with different men, awarding them a 'green flag' or a 'red flag.' A piece in The Times called it a 'man-shaming' app.
The app has also come under fire for a data breach that saw photos from 13,000 users leaked. On Friday, a spokesperson for Tea said that around 72,000 images, including 13,000 selfies and photo identification images submitted at signup and 59,000 images shared on the app itself, were accessed and potentially leaked. Tea said: 'We're taking every step to protect this community - now and always.'
Alice Hall is the Staff Writer at Grazia UK. She was previously a Junior Features Writer for The Daily Telegraph. At Grazia, she writes news and features about pop culture, dating, health, politics and interiors.