What is the viral 'Tea' app allowing women to red-flag men?

A new women-only app called Tea has gone viral.

The app is named for after the expression ‘spilling the tea’ or sharing the gossip.

It allows women to anonymously share feedback about the men they are dating, have dated previously or even interacted with in the past.

The app, ironically, became more popular at the same time that the Coldplay cheating saga unfolded.

It is quickly becoming one of the most popular apps in different app stores.

But what do we know about Tea? How does it work?

Let’s take a closer look:

What do we know? How does it work?

The app was founded by Sean Cook, who previously worked at Salesforce and Shutterfly.

Tea is gaining popularity on TikTok.

It seems to be particularly popular with Gen Z and amongst West Asian communities.

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The app currently has over 500,000 users.

It currently has a waiting list of around 900,000 to join.

It has skyrocketed to the top of the ranks for free apps on the Apple store.

It is also available on Android phones.

The chat features a  “Group Chat” in which women can share experiences about men and dating among themselves.

Women can post photos of the men they’re dating and list ‘green flags’ and ‘red flags’.

They can also solicit information from other women who have dated the same man and their backgrounds.

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While some features are free, others are behind a paywall.

After five free searches, women can shell out $15 (Rs 1,300).

Or they can gain unlimited searches by inviting others to join Tea.

Tea has received over 16,000 five-star ratings.

“Unlike anything else out there, this app is designed with women’s safety, awareness, and empowerment as its top priority,” one review reads. “It goes beyond basic dating protection and truly provides a layer of defense against liars, cheaters, scammers, and even predators.”

However, most of the reviews of men on the app appear to be negative.

The app also has a real-time verification mechanism to prevent men from gaining access to it.

“If you get past the waiting list, you have to submit a pic of your face with an ID to prove you are a girl because no guys are allowed on the app,” one user told Fox2Detroit.com. “The guys that are green flags, I was trying to look them up on social media and like, oh, this is a good guy. So both ends of the spectrum are dictating my dating life right now”.

It uses Artificial Intelligence to conduct background checks on its users.

It also has catfish detection technology which  allows users to reverse image search and uncover fake profiles.

Phone number lookup helps verify if someone has a hidden marriage or concerning history with their phone number.

Women can also look up public records of men and check their criminal history.

Cook has said he came up with the idea for the app after watching his mother struggle in the online dating world.

Not only did she get repeatedly scammed, she also got catfished on dating platforms.

Sabrina Henriquez, 28, told Washington Post she found the app on TikTok.

She said other women had discussed how the app helmed them.

“They were going to go on a date with a certain individual, but once they got on the app and saw how much of a safety hazard this man is because of the allegations of abuse, it kind of saved them from putting themselves in that situation,” Henriquez said.

The data shows Cook is right.

Not only are women at risk of being scammed on dating apps, they could also be in physical danger.

A 2019 ProPublica report, conducted with Columbia Journalism Investigations, showed that a one-third of 1,200 women had been sexually assaulted by men they met on dating apps.

“With millions of women facing online dating risks daily, I knew there had to be a better way,” Cook has said. “Tea was built to provide women with an easy way to vet potential dates without fear instantly. Dating should be exciting, not dangerous-and we’re here to revolutionise online dating safety for women.”

Tea also donates 10 per cent of its profits to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

While women have praised the app on social media, men have not.

It is currently available in the United States.

What do critics say?

Some are worried about the app possibly being misused.

Others have raised issues of privacy for the men whose photos and information have been put up on the app.

“The app could easily be used to spread unverified accusations — especially with its anonymous nature — and could even be used as a revenge tool,”  Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET, told Forbes. “While its intentions are simple and protective, the unregulated format could unfortunately open it up to abuse,” he says.

They predict a slew of lawsuits for the app.

Experts say that the women posting on the app should do so carefully.

Attorney William Barnwell told Fox2Detroit.com, “I could see some areas where this could cause people some big problems”.

“Truth is an absolute defence for a defamation claim; you can’t just sue someone because your feelings are hurt”.

“You can be saying something that is true, but it’s being used in a way to constantly harass somebody. There are laws that cover that,” Barnwell added. “In people’s outrage to want to out these bad people, it might be better to walk away.”

With inputs from agencies