The Tea app was launched in 2023 by founder Sean Cook. The app recently hit a spike in popularity due to social media apps like TikTok and Instagram. The Tea app released that as of July – August they had between 4 million and 4.6 million total users.
Cook created this app after witnessing what his mother had gone through with other dating apps: such as catfishing and talking to men who, unknowingly to her, had criminal records. Lots of dating apps do little to protect their users, so Cook wanted to create a safe space for “the girls”.
The Tea app is not a dating app but an app for females to use to communicate with others and share their experiences. The app has many options like posting their experiences with others to educate and it allows others to give the guys a “green flag” or a “red flag” along with a comment section. The app also has a chat feed to ask for advice on situations. The app also contains a criminal record search and a sex offender list to help keep women safe.
Cook also works with Daniella Szetela who is the chief marketing officer of the app. The app is built on one fundamental belief, “Women should never have to compromise their safety while dating”.
During the sign up process of the app you have to take a selfie which will be processed through an AI bot to ensure that you are a female. This process can take up to 72 hours until you are let into the app. Along with the fact that you have to be a female you also have to be 18-years-old and can not post anyone unless they are 18.
Although the Tea app has such a large fan base right now, they are also going through many legal troubles. A post was made late September on a facebook page by a mother concerned with her son being posted on the app. Many had replied saying this was happening to them and people they know as well and wanting to get in contact with police since there are minors being posted and talked about. Some people are wanting to sue for violation of privacy, deformation and criminal exposure.
There is still an ongoing investigation on the app when back in July there was a data breach which had released many women’s government IDs in which they had used to get into the app to verify their gender. The company released that only users who had signed up before February of 2024 were affected. There were also rumors that the pictures that women used to get into the app were also released and a map was created of the women’s locations. This information was not confirmed and is just a speculation.
Alongside this app, a less popular app called Tea On Her was created with the exact same concept but this app is for males. Same as the Tea app you have to “submit” a picture of yourself for an AI bot to confirm that you are a male. They as well anonymously share photos of girls for feedback and dating advice.
Emily Mcknight, a counselor at Eureka high school shares her advice on how important it is to know what a healthy relationship looks and feels like.
“Setting boundaries is very important,” McKnight said. “What are things you are okay with and things you are not okay with? Do you feel safe having tough conversations with someone? Do you feel respected? And do you feel like you can still be who you are independently?”
She also gives more advice about making sure you feel good in the relationship, as well as making sure you are feeling supported and that your relationship has trust in it.
Trust also needs to be followed when a relationship is over. Everyone is entitled to their own feelings and opinions, but it’s not right to air them out. Talking about others in the heat of your feelings can be very hurtful and is setting up others for a hurtful environment.
It’s very important to remember that there are always two sides of every story and that both sides are equally important. Sharing other peoples information can also get choppy like a game of telephone. In the end of the game what is shouted out ends up to be nothing like what you said. This is an example of how easily words can get twisted and mixed around.
“All points and perspectives are valid, but they can be damaging,” Mcknight said.
