Before the data breach, Tea reported a "massive surge in growth" in recent weeks, as the app gained attention through videos and discussions on social media about dating and gender dynamics. The app was listed as the "top free app in Apple's download charts", said The New York Times, "and was also highly ranked in the Google Play store".

Tea, an app that allows women to post anonymous comments about men they’ve supposedly dated, announced Friday that it has suffered a data breach, with hackers gaining access to 72,000 images.