Tea is a women-only dating safety platform created to help users share and review information about men they encounter, aiming to reduce risks such as catfishing and abuse. Founded by Sean Cook, whose motivation stemmed from his mother’s experience with online deception, Tea (app) employs features like Catfish Finder AI, reverse image search, background checks, phone number lookups, and an anonymous group chat called Tea Party. The platform restricts access to verified women and uses AI moderation to manage user content. Tea (app) has been recognized for offering tools to empower women, but it has also drawn criticism related to privacy, consent, and potential defamation. In July 2025, a major data breach exposed over 72,000 verification selfies and government IDs, which were reportedly stored in an unsecured public directory. This breach resulted in widespread dissemination of user information, including the creation of searchable maps and ranking apps that misused personal data, raising new concerns about safety and the ethical limits of online reputation platforms.
