Apple Removes Women Dating Safety App from the App Store
Apple has removed Tea, the women’s safety app which went viral earlier this year before facing multiple data breaches, from the App Store.
“This app is currently not available in your country or region,” a message on the Apple App Store currently says when trying to visit a link to the app.
Apple told 404 Media in an email it removed the app, as well as a copycat called TeaOnHer, for failing to meet the company’s terms of use around content moderation and user privacy. Apple also said it received an excessive number of complaints, including ones about the personal data of minors being posted in the apps.
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Do you know anything else about this removal? Do you work at Tea or did you used to? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.
The company pointed to parts of its guidelines including that apps are not allowed to share someone’s personal data without their permission, and that apps need a mechanism for reporting objectionable content.
Randy Nelson, head of insights and media resources at app intelligence company Appfigures, first alerted 404 Media to the app’s removal.
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Apple Removes Women Dating Safety App from the App Store
The app, which went viral before facing multiple data breaches, is currently unavailable on the Apple App Store.Joseph Cox (404 Media)
Tea App Turns Off DMs After Exposing Messages About Abortions, Cheating
Tea, the viral women’s dating safety app, has turned off direct messages after 404 Media revealed that a vulnerability allowed unauthorized parties to gain access to users’ direct messages, including many in which women discussed their abortions, cheating partners, and phone numbers they sent to one another.Kasra Rahjerdi, the independent security researcher who first flagged the issue to 404 Media, shared a cache of more than a million Tea direct messages that 404 Media then verified. He said the security issue lasted until late last week. Tea announced late Monday it was turning off direct messages altogether.
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UpgradeTea App Turns Off DMs After Exposing Messages About Abortions, Cheating
404 Media first contacted Tea about the security issue on Saturday. The company disabled direct messages on Monday after our report.Joseph Cox (404 Media)
