What if a safe space turned into a nightmare? That’s the cold, hard reality for the millions of women who downloaded the Tea app—a revolutionary platform where women could anonymously discuss their experiences with men. This week, hackers breached its security, exposing tens of thousands of sensitive images online, leaving many users in shock and distress.

On Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for Tea confirmed the breach, estimating that a staggering 72,000 images had been accessed, including 13,000 verification selfies and government-issued IDs. The app, designed as a virtual whisper network for women to share their experiences and warn each other about “red flags” and “green flags,” soared to the top of the Apple App Store this week, gaining nearly a million new signups just days prior.

The concept of Tea is brilliantly simple yet powerful: women could upload images of men and search for them by name, exchanging crucial information about their interactions. However, the very feature designed to promote safety has now become a potential weapon against its users. Every signup requires a selfie to verify gender, a process the app claimed would delete images after review to protect users’ privacy. Yet, after this breach, those assurances feel hollow to many.

The hack reportedly accessed a database from over two years ago, which the spokesperson indicated was stored in compliance with law enforcement requirements aimed at preventing cyberbullying. Tea has since hired third-party cybersecurity experts and is working tirelessly to secure its systems, expressing that the protection of user privacy and data is their utmost priority. “We are taking every necessary step to ensure the security of our platform and prevent further exposure,” the spokesperson stated.

However, the fallout from this breach extends beyond individual privacy concerns. The app, which has already sparked outrage among some men who feel misrepresented, also found itself the subject of a thread on the notorious right-wing troll board 4Chan. Users there called for a “hack and leak” campaign to exploit the situation further. A user allegedly posted a link to download the stolen database, leading to a widespread distribution of sensitive images.

Sean Cook, the creator of the app, was inspired to develop Tea after witnessing his mother’s harrowing experiences with online dating, including being catfished and unknowingly dating men with criminal records. The app provides tools for users to run background checks and look for criminal histories, but with the recent events, its integrity is now in question.

As Tea’s user base surpasses 2 million, many remain on the waitlist, eager to join but now fearful of the implications of their data being compromised. With the report of the breach, numerous social media commenters have expressed their concerns over the security of their personal information. Tea's promise to donate 10% of its profits to the National Domestic Violence Hotline adds an altruistic angle to its narrative, but it might not be enough to quell the rising fears surrounding the privacy of its users.