Apple has removed the popular women’s safety app Tea from the App Store after ongoing privacy and security failures. The app, known for helping women share dating safety information, violated Apple’s rules on data protection and content moderation.
Now, anyone trying to download Tea sees a notice saying it’s “not available in your country or region.” The app is effectively offline worldwide. Apple confirmed to 404 Media that both Tea and its copycat, TeaOnHer, were delisted. The company said both apps failed to stop users from sharing personal information without consent.
Repeated Privacy Breaches and Legal Issues
The removal follows a series of serious data breaches earlier this year. During the summer, Tea suffered two incidents that exposed private information, including user selfies, ID photos, and over a million direct messages.
Those messages included personal details about relationships, cheating, and even abortion discussions. The leaks sparked several lawsuits accusing Tea of failing to protect its users’ data. The situation was especially damaging because the app promoted itself as a safe and anonymous space for women.
Apple’s Commitment to User Safety
Apple said Tea broke App Store guidelines by lacking proper moderation tools and ways for users to report harmful content. The company also received many complaints about users posting private data, including that of minors.
Developers can reapply to the App Store if they fix these problems and meet Apple’s privacy standards. Until then, the app remains unavailable.
Apple’s decision reinforces its firm stance on privacy. The Tea incident highlights the risk of apps that promise safety but fail to deliver the protection users expect.
