The Tea app, which marketed itself as a safe space for women, experienced a significant data breach exposing over 72,000 verification selfies, government IDs, and private messages. Hackers discovered the app's unsecured backend database, which was devoid of password protection or encryption. The breach, totaling 59.3 GB, allowed private data to be scraped and disseminated online, including documents and messages dated as recent as 2024 and 2025, contradicting claims of older data exposure. Critics argue that the app, created under the guise of empowerment, has inadvertently doxxed its users. The company contended the data was stored in compliance with law enforcement requirements, while the original hacker attributed the breach to poor coding practices labeled as 'vibe coding,' reflecting a concerning trend of reliance on AI tools without security review. Users are urged to consider credit monitoring in light of the widespread data exposure.

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