The Tea app was intended to help women date safely. Then it got hacked

A provocative dating app designed to let women anonymously ask or warn each other about men they'd encountered rocketed to the top spot on the U.S. Apple App Store last week. Then, on Friday, the company that runs Tea confirmed it had been hacked: Thousands of images from the app, including selfies, were leaked online. San Francisco-based Tea Dating Advice Inc. said in a statement that the breach only affected users who signed up before February 2024. The app and the hack highlight the fraught nature of seeking romance in the age of social media. Some men have alleged defamation and invasion of privacy after their names were posted on date-vetting sites.