Apple pulls Tea and TeaOnHer dating apps over privacy and moderation violations

Apple has removed the dating apps Tea and TeaOnHer from the App Store, citing violations of content moderation and user privacy rules. According to Apple, the apps failed to obtain proper consent before using personal data and did not provide adequate tools for reporting or filtering objectionable user-generated content. Apple also pointed to an unusually high volume of negative reviews and complaints, including reports of minors’ personal details being shared.

What happened

• App Store removal: Tea and TeaOnHer were pulled for breaking policies on personal data use, user-generated content moderation (reporting, blocking, filtering) and reviews/complaints.
• Data breaches and security issues: Tea suffered multiple breaches this year, including tens of thousands of leaked images (selfies and photo IDs used for verification) and over a million private messages. TeaOnHer also exposed photo IDs, selfies and email addresses shortly after launch.
• Current availability: Both apps remain available on Google Play (Android) as of now.

How the apps work

• Tea (Tea Dating Advice): Lets women share experiences about men, post/comment on photos, run reverse image searches and leave “green/red flag” ratings.
• TeaOnHer: A similar concept in reverse—men share information about women. It launched later and reportedly reused parts of Tea’s listing text.

Why Apple acted

• Privacy consent: Apps must not share or use personal information without explicit permission.
• UGC safeguards: App Store rules require reporting tools, blocking abusive users and filtering of objectionable content.
• User safety signals: Apple cited a high volume of complaints and reviews, some involving minors’ data, and said developers did not fully resolve raised issues.

What users should know

• If you used these apps: Consider changing passwords and enabling two‑factor authentication. Remove uploaded IDs from any app where possible.
• Data removal requests: File data deletion or “right to be forgotten” requests with the developers; monitor for identity theft and phishing.
• Alternatives: If you value community vetting features, research platforms’ privacy policies, security practices and reporting tools before signing up.

Further reading

Apple App Store Review Guidelines ·
Google Play Store ·
Background report and timeline

Discussion: Do App Store removals like this improve user safety—or should platforms leave these decisions to users while enforcing stricter transparency and security standards?