The Tea app, a platform launched in 2023 to help women share safety information about men in their area, is now the subject of 10 class-action lawsuits in federal and state courts. The legal action follows a July 2025 security breach in which hackers accessed and leaked sensitive user data.
The breach exposed 72,000 images, including 13,000 verification photos and government IDs, as well as 1.1 million private messages containing personal details such as phone numbers and legal names.
In response, Tea disabled its direct messaging feature and offered free identity protection services.
However, the lawsuits claim that the company failed to safeguard user data and violated contractual promises to protect anonymity and delete verification information.
Lawyer Scott Cole, representing plaintiff Griselda Reyes and four other women, told NBC News that many users fear long-term repercussions from the leak.
One lawsuit also names 4Chan, Teaspill, and X as defendants, alleging they facilitated the spread of the stolen information to harass targeted users.
Four of the suits seek $5 million each in damages for harassment and doxxing, with experts warning the total compensation could reach hundreds of millions.
Vanderbilt Law School professor Brian Fitzpatrick told NBC News that beyond financial penalties, the incident could severely harm Tea’s reputation and user trust.
The lawsuits mark a significant challenge for the app, which was originally promoted as a safe space for women to communicate about potential threats in their community.
With legal proceedings underway, the outcome could set a precedent for accountability in online safety platforms.
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