The personal information of thousands of women has been compromised after hackers breached the Tea app. According to NBC News, hackers may have accessed thousands of selfies and photo IDs from the app, which is a platform where women can secretly talk about men they’re dating for safety reasons.

How much data is compromised in the Tea app breach?

A spokesperson for Tea told NBC News that about 72,000 photos on the app have been hacked. The hacked images include 13,000 verification photos and government IDs. Some of the hacked data also includes content that is more than two years old.

“This data was originally stored in compliance with law enforcement requirements related to cyberbullying prevention,” the Tea spokesperson told NBC News.

According to the Associated Press, hackers have also accessed 59,000 images that are publicly viewable on posts in the app. Additionally, the perpetrators have accessed dozens of comments and direct messages without authorization. However, the hackers didn’t get access to any email addresses or phone numbers, the AP reported. The users affected by the breach are people who signed up for the app before February 2024.

The company said it has now hired third-party cybersecurity pros to secure its systems.

How does the Tea app work?

The Tea app allows women to search for specific men using photos that are uploaded to the app. Users go to the app to share information about the men, labeling them as a “green” or “red” flag.

Although the app initially requires users to take selfies to prove they are women, the company says the images are deleted after verification is complete. The app also promises anonymity to the women and prevents screenshots.

“Tea is a must-have app, helping women avoid red flags before the first date with dating advice, and showing them who’s really behind the profile of the person they’re dating,” the app’s description states, per the AP.

The Tea app announced on Thursday that it gained a million new users in recent days and now stands as one of the most popular free apps in the Apple App Store.