Apple Removes Tea Dating Apps Over Privacy Violations and User Complaints

Apple this week removed dating review apps Tea Dating Advice and TeaOnHer from the App Store for violating its content moderation policies.

The apps were pulled in all markets on October 21, and Apple told TechCrunch that the app developers did not meet requirements for moderation and user privacy, violating ‌App Store‌ guidelines 1.2, 5.1.2, and 5.6. Apple also saw an "excessive number of user complaints and negative reviews," including complaints that people were sharing the personal information of minors.

Rule 1.2 says that apps need to have reporting and blocking features, and should remove objectionable content. Rule 5.1.2 prohibits apps from sharing users' personal information without permission, and rule 5.6 says that excessive negative reviews violate Apple's Developer Code of Conduct.

Apple contacted the developers of each app before removing the apps, but they did not address the problems.

For background, Tea is an app designed to let women share details about the men they were dating, offering "red flag" and "green flag" ratings. The app launched in 2023, but it went viral earlier this year, and its popularity led to a data breach.

TeaOnHer is a separate app from a different developer that launched after Tea became popular, and it too had major security issues. Neither developer has commented on the situation.

Both apps are still available on Google Play, and on the ‌App Store‌, TechCrunch has found multiple copycat apps.

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