Tea Dating App - “When 'Women-Only' Meets 'Everyone-Can-See'”
Nominee: Tea Dating Advice Inc. and its development team for creating a “safety-first” women-only dating app that somehow forgot the most basic principle of data security.
Reported by: Multiple cybersecurity researchers and confirmed by Tea's official statement following widespread exposure of user data - July 26, 2025.
The Innovation
Tea marketed itself as the ultimate women's safety platform—a “Yelp for men” where women could anonymously share dating experiences and red flags. Their revolutionary approach to data security? Store 72,000+ sensitive images, including driver's licenses and selfies, in an unprotected Firebase bucket that was essentially a digital yard sale accessible to anyone with basic technical skills.
The Double-Down
After the first breach exposed tens of thousands of images with EXIF location data (creating literal maps of users), a second breach revealed over one million private messages about highly sensitive topics. Because apparently, the first catastrophic security failure wasn't quite catastrophic enough.
Why They're Ineligible
While Tea's spectacular failure to secure user data is certainly Darwin Award-worthy, this appears to be a classic case of basic cybersecurity incompetence rather than AI misadventure. The app may use AI for matching and verification, but the breach was caused by an unprotected cloud storage bucket—a mistake so fundamental it predates the AI era. This is old-school human stupidity dressed up in modern app clothing.
The Irony
An app designed to protect women from dangerous men ended up creating a database that stalkers and bad actors could only dream of—complete with photos, locations, and detailed personal information. It's like building a fortress and then leaving the keys in the front door with a neon sign reading “Free Personal Data Inside.”
Sources: ABC News Report | Simon Willison's Analysis | Tea's Official Statement