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.
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.
After launching a number of years ago, Tea skyrocketed to the top of the App Store this summer. The idea was for women to come together to share information and red flags about their dates. Tea users can “find verified green flag men,” “run background checks,” and “identify potential catfish,” according to Tea’s website. Crucially, the app said it verified that every user was a woman by asking them to upload a selfie.
In the wake of its new found attention, members of the notorious troll and harassment forum 4chan targeted the service, and found an exposed database containing Tea users’ driver licenses and selfies. Days later, 404 Media revealed a second data breach at Tea impacted users’ direct messages, including those discussing abortions and cheating.
Tea turned off its direct messaging functionality altogether after that breach, and a Tea user filed a class action lawsuit against the app. Despite those data breaches, Tea continued to grow its userbase, Tea previously told 404 Media in a statement.
404 Media subsequently published an in-depth investigation into Tea and its CEO and founder Sean Cook, revealing how the app tried to essentially hijack the Are We Dating the Same Guy community, an ecosystem of Facebook pages that are credited with keeping women safe. Tea paid influencers to undermine Are We Dating the Same Guy and created competing Facebook pages with nearly identical names. That investigation also discovered a third security breach which revealed the personal data of women who were paid to promote the app as part of an affiliate program.
The app is still available on the Google Play Store. A number of other copycat apps that include “tea” in their name and advertise similar features are still available on the Apple App Store as well.
As of Wednesday Tea is still posting to its social media accounts, including its Instagram. The most recent post from around 13 hours ago describes Tea as “The first ever girls-only space that truly amplifies women’s voices and gives them an anonymous space to share their experiences, find comfort, and get the info they need on the man they’re talking to, in the name of DATING SAFETY💜”
One of the replies to that video simply says “App is gone.”
Update: This piece has been updated to include more information from Apple. The headline has also been updated to reflect that Apple removed the app.
