Apple removes dating apps Tea and TeaOnHer from App Store over privacy and moderation concerns
Apple has removed dating apps Tea and TeaOnHer from the App Store for violating rules related to content moderation and user privacy. The company said TechCrunch that it removed the apps because they violated several of its rules, including one requiring that apps cannot share or use an individual’s personal information without first obtaining their permission.
Apple said it also violated a rule regarding user-generated content, which states that apps must have the ability to report offensive or disturbing content, an option to block abusive users and the ability to filter “posting of objectionable content.” Additionally, Apple claimed that the apps violated rules related to user reviews. He said TechCrunch they received an “excessive” volume of negative reviews and user complaints, including those related to sharing personal data of minors. The company said it had raised these issues with the apps’ developers, but they had not been resolved.
As it stands, both apps are still available on Android via the Google Play Store. Tea (officially called Tea Dating Advice) allows women to post details about men they have met or dated. It allows them to post and comment on photos, view public records about individuals, perform reverse image searches, share experiences, and rate or review men. Users can, for example, indicate whether they would give a man a “green flag” or a “red flag.”
TeaOnHer turns this format on its head, with men sharing information about women. Both are billed as dating safety apps, with Tea telling users they can “ask our anonymous community of women to make sure your date is safe, not a catfish, and not in a relationship.”
The tea first appeared in 2023 and went viral this year. In July, hackers hacked the app and leaked tens of thousands of images, including about 3,000 selfies and photo IDs that users submitted to verify their accounts. Other images included posts, comments and private messages. A second hack revealed more than a million private messages.
A few days after TeaOnHer went live in August (by ripping text from Tea’s App Store description), it emerged that the app had its own security issues. It was possible to view ID photos and selfies that users had submitted for account verification, as well as their email addresses.
