Apple Removes Controversial Dating Apps Tea & TeaOnHer From App Store
▼ Summary
– Tea and TeaOnHer dating safety apps were removed from the Apple App Store due to content moderation and user privacy violations.
– Apple cited excessive user complaints, including reports of minors’ personal information being shared without consent.
– The apps allowed users to post personal details and reviews about others, leading to privacy and defamation concerns.
– Both apps experienced security breaches that exposed user data, such as selfies and government IDs.
– Despite the removal from Apple’s platform, the apps remain available on Google Play and copycat apps are gaining popularity.
Apple has officially removed the controversial dating safety applications Tea and TeaOnHer from its App Store, citing significant failures in content moderation and user privacy protections. The decision, first identified by analytics firm Appfigures, took effect globally this Tuesday, though both platforms remain available for download on Google Play. Apple confirmed the removal, pointing to an inability by the developers to resolve critical issues despite being notified, including a high volume of user complaints and reports that minors’ personal details were being shared without consent.
The apps violated multiple sections of Apple’s App Review Guidelines, specifically rules 1.2, 5.1.2, and 5.6. Guideline 1.2 requires apps with user-generated content to include reporting and blocking tools and to promptly remove offensive material. Rule 5.1.2 prohibits the unauthorized use or sharing of personal data, while 5.6 states that an excessive number of negative reviews and customer complaints breach the developer code of conduct. Apple communicated these violations to the developers, but the necessary corrections were not implemented. Attempts to reach the app creators for comment have so far been unsuccessful.
Originally gaining popularity earlier this year, Tea was introduced as a safety resource for women in the dating scene, operating in a manner reminiscent of certain Facebook groups where users exchange information about individuals. The platform encouraged women to post detailed accounts, including personal identifiers and evaluative labels like “green flag” or “red flag”, regarding men they encountered on dating apps. This approach, however, sparked backlash from many who viewed it as an invasion of privacy and raised concerns about potential defamation.
Following its rise to notoriety, Tea experienced a serious data breach during the summer, compromising approximately 72,000 images. Among these were 3,000 selfies and photo IDs used for verification, plus an additional 59,000 images from user posts, comments, and private messages. In response, a competing application called TeaOnHer emerged, offering men a similar platform to share feedback about women. However, TechCrunch revealed in August that this rival app also suffered from security flaws that exposed sensitive user information, including government-issued identification and personal photos.
According to Appfigures, Tea accumulated 6.1 million downloads over its lifetime and generated roughly $5 million in gross revenue. TeaOnHer, which did not include in-app purchases, reached 2.2 million downloads. Despite their removal from Apple’s marketplace, both apps continue to operate on Google’s Android platform. In the wake of their delisting, competing applications have seen a notable surge in usage. One example, TeaOnHer and Him – Overheard, climbed dramatically in the overall app rankings, moving from position 90 to 27, and has already been downloaded more than 354,000 times.
(Source: TechCrunch)
