Apple Has Removed the Controversial Apps “Tea” and “TeaOnHer” From the App Store.
While it’s not my favorite thing to do, it’s time again to talk about the viral apps Tea and TeaOnHer. You might remember them from last summer, when Tea, an app where women could anonymously rate and discuss men under the guise of helping each other find new dates, was the subject of a data breach that exposed users’ personal information. Then, TeaOnHer, an app for men, launched, and Tea users were faced with a class-action lawsuit from users upset that their personal data was easily accessible to hackers. Whether you remember them or not, they’re gone now—or at least, they weren’t. Apple removed them from the App Store.
Removing Tea and TeaOnHer from the App Store
Tea had been around for about two years before it suddenly went viral in July , leading to at least two separate data breaches, the second of which occurred when a data expert discovered that not only some of users’ photos were stored insecurely, but some private messages as well .
One of the reasons the app went so viral was that many people disliked its premise. It worked like Yelp, but instead of reviewing businesses, women could leave reviews about men. Men had no recourse or due process; they couldn’t even access the app, let alone respond to any comments about them. (Women gained access by uploading photos of ID or selfies for verification, and it was these photos that were initially hacked and published.)
Some considered this unfair, while others saw an opportunity to capitalize on the discontent. TeaOnHer , an app with the same idea but aimed at men, appeared in the App Store about two weeks after the Tea hack. Discussions about privacy continued, but both apps remained in the App Store. Until now.
Apple confirmed to TechCrunch that the apps were removed for failing to comply with the company’s user privacy and content moderation standards. Indeed, if you search the App Store for the apps, you won’t find anything. Well, maybe a bunch of impostors looking to exploit Tea and TOH’s absence. The app, called “Tea On Her & Him – Overheard,” is currently the second-most downloaded free app in the Lifestyle category.
Can I continue drinking tea?
Tea hasn’t been removed from Google Play yet , so you can still access it on Android. Furthermore, if you already had Tea on iPhone, it still works—for now.
When the leak of private messages became public this summer, Tea responded by closing private messages and explicitly mentioning it in the app. While the news was unfolding, the app posted a public message on its Instagram page. The app itself and social media platforms made no mention of the App Store removal, but a company representative emailed me: “We are aware that the Tea app has been removed from the App Store and are working to resolve the issue with Apple. We understand what this app means to our more than six million users and remain deeply committed to our mission of helping women confidently date.”