Controversial dating safety apps, Tea and TeaOnHer, have been removed from the Apple App Store. This decision was confirmed by Apple after the apps were flagged for not meeting standards around content moderation and user privacy. The apps were still available on Google Play, but complaints about them had been mounting.
Many users raised concerns about privacy violations. Apple indicated that the apps had been receiving excessive user complaints, including reports of minors’ personal information being exposed. The removal also stemmed from violations of Apple’s developer guidelines, which emphasize the necessity of content moderation and the protection of personal data.
Tea, which started gaining traction in 2025, aimed to help women by allowing them to share information about men they met on dating apps. Users could post details about their experiences, effectively turning the app into a sort of Yelp for dating. However, many men felt this practice invaded their privacy, raising questions about potential defamation.
Not long after Tea’s rise to fame, it experienced a significant data breach, compromising around 72,000 images, including personal IDs and selfies. This incident heightened concerns about security flaws in such apps and prompted the launch of its competitor, TeaOnHer.
TeaOnHer intended to mirror Tea’s concept but faced its own set of issues, resulting in user data exposure as well. The flaws in both apps have sparked discussions about online safety and data protection, particularly as these platforms rely on user-generated content.
Recent statistics show that Tea reached 6.1 million downloads and generated around $5 million in revenue, while TeaOnHer garnered 2.2 million downloads without any in-app purchases. Following their removal from the App Store, alternative apps are beginning to take their place, such as “TeaOnHer and Him – Overheard,” which has climbed significantly in rankings, indicating a shifting landscape in dating safety apps.
As these events unfold, experts emphasize the need for stronger regulations around user privacy and data security in apps. The ongoing dialogue surrounding these issues is likely to shape the future of dating platforms and their approach to safety.
For further information about data privacy in apps, consider reading resources from the Federal Trade Commission.
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