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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Tea said its initial security incident exposed about 72,000 images, including verification selfies and images containing photo IDs. The company later acknowledged that some direct messages were accessed; TechCrunch separately reported a researcher’s finding of more than 1.1 million messages. Those figures describe different data and disclosures, not a count of affected people.
What Tea said was exposed in the initial image incident
Tea told the Associated Press that unauthorized access involved approximately 72,000 images:
- About 13,000 selfies or selfie-and-photo-ID images submitted for account verification.
- About 59,000 images from in-app posts, comments, and direct messages.
Tea said the image data came from a legacy dataset created before February 2024 and that this image incident affected users who signed up before that month. The company also said email addresses and phone numbers were not accessed in this image incident. These are Tea’s statements as reported by the Associated Press, not findings from an independent audit. Associated Press report
What was reported about direct messages
Tea later acknowledged that some direct messages were accessed and said it took the affected system offline. At that point, the company told the Associated Press it did not know how many messages were involved. Associated Press follow-up
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TechCrunch subsequently reported that independent security researcher Kasra Rahjerdi found more than 1.1 million messages, dated from early 2023 through the week of discovery. That is a reported message count, not a count of users, and it does not mean every message was downloaded or made public. The reported message period should not be confused with Tea’s pre-February-2024 cutoff for the image dataset. TechCrunch report
How the two disclosures differ
| Data | What was reported | Time window | Claim and qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Images | Approximately 72,000: about 13,000 verification images and about 59,000 images from posts, comments, and DMs | Tea said the legacy image dataset was from before February 2024; it said signups before that cutoff were affected | Counts and scope were stated by Tea to the Associated Press; not an independently audited tally |
| Direct messages | Tea acknowledged some messages were accessed; TechCrunch reported a researcher’s finding of more than 1.1 million messages | Researcher’s reported messages dated from early 2023 through the week of discovery | The message figure is attributed to TechCrunch’s reporting on the researcher’s finding, not a count of affected users |
Tea’s July 26 statement described the incident as unauthorized access to a legacy storage dataset from before February 2024. The same statement said the app removed its ID requirement in 2023, after initially requiring selfies and IDs as an added verification measure. Tea statement reproduced by Simon Willison
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What is known about Tea’s response
Tea said it took the affected messaging system offline, would identify users whose information was involved, and would offer those users free identity protection services. The Associated Press also reported Tea’s statement at the time that it had found no evidence of access to other parts of its environment. That was the company’s assessment then, not proof that all other data was untouched. Associated Press follow-up
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What affected or concerned users can do
- Watch for a direct notice from Tea if you believe you may be affected, and use the identity-protection offer only through details you can verify from Tea’s official communications.
- Be alert to unexpected messages that use personal details to appear legitimate. Avoid clicking links or sharing verification codes in response to unsolicited contact.
- Use unique passwords and enable available account security protections on other services, particularly if you reused a password associated with Tea.
- For account-security and identity-verification practices more broadly, Prove executive Mary Ann Miller advised companies to consider verification methods other than IDs and to securely discard verification data when it is no longer needed. This is expert advice, not a specific regulatory requirement. Associated Press report
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