Apple Removes Viral Tea Dating Apps Over Privacy Concerns: All You Need To Know

Apple has removed two dating review apps Tea Dating Advice and TeaOnHer from its App Store for violating content moderation and user privacy rules. The apps were pulled worldwide on October 21, after Apple found that developers failed to meet App Store guidelines and had an excessive number of user complaints and negative reviews.

According to the iPhone maker, some complaints included sharing personal information of minors, which is strictly against App Store policies.

The removal was based on three key guidelines:

- Rule 1.2: Apps must have reporting and blocking features and remove objectionable content.

- Rule 5.1.2: Apps cannot share users’ personal information without permission.

- Rule 5.6: Apps should not have excessive negative reviews violating Apple’s Developer Code of Conduct.

Apple reportedly contacted the developers before removing the apps, but the issues were not resolved.

Dating Apps

Tea is a platform designed to let women share information about men they were dating, providing red flag and green flag ratings. Launched in 2023, it went viral earlier this year but faced a data breach that exposed sensitive user data.

TeaOnHer, from a different developer, appeared after Tea became popular. It also faced major security and privacy issues. Neither app’s developer has commented on the removals.

Despite being removed from the App Store, both apps are still available on Google Play, and TechCrunch found several copycat apps on Apple’s platform. The situation highlights the challenges of content moderation and user safety on dating apps, especially those that rely on user-generated information.

Apple’s action shows that the company takes user privacy very seriously, especially when it involves minors. People should be careful while using apps that share personal or dating information, and always check app reviews and permissions before downloading.