The women's dating app Tea experienced a serious data breach after its unsecured backend database was discovered, exposing over 72,000 private images, including selfies and government IDs collected for user verification. The breach, which revealed personal messages and other sensitive information, is alarming as it contradicts the app's purpose of providing a safe space for women. Critics highlighted that the very nature of this app, which was meant to protect users from dangerous men, resulted in a catastrophic case of doxxing directed towards its female clientele. The original hacker criticized the lax security measures, blaming it on 'vibe coding'—a trend where developers rely on AI tools without thorough code review, leading to serious security flaws. The leaked data, amounting to approximately 59.3 GB, quickly spread online, appearing on platforms like 4chan and BitTorrent. Many users are now at risk as their documents are searchable, prompting recommendations for credit monitoring to prevent further issues. The incident shines a light on the dangers of inadequate coding practices in the tech industry, especially in applications handling sensitive user data.

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