The women-only dating safety app Tea experienced a significant data breach when its unsecured database was discovered by hackers on 4chan. Over 72,000 private images, including selfies and government-issued IDs submitted for user verification, were leaked online within hours. The incident not only exposed sensitive information but also included private messages from users which were mapped and made searchable. Despite Tea's claims of safeguarding women's information, hackers found the database had no password or encryption. It was later revealed that the lax security stemmed from what one hacker referred to as 'vibe coding,' a practice where developers rely heavily on AI-generated code without thorough security reviews. As the app surged to popularity with over 4 million users, this breach contradicts its promises of a safe space. Users are now urged to monitor their credit, as their IDs have already started appearing in indexed searches. Experts warn about the dangers of over-reliance on AI in coding, as evidenced by this incident, highlighting the need for human oversight in software development.

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