Tea App vs AWDTSG: Which Dating Safety Platform Is More Dangerous?
The quest for safer online dating has given rise to controversial platforms that promise to protect women but may actually create new dangers. After analyzing documented incidents, data breaches, legal cases, and mental health consequences, the evidence reveals surprising truths about which platform poses greater risks.
The Verdict: AWDTSG Is More Dangerous
While Tea App's data breaches affected 72,000 users, AWDTSG's systematic model poses far greater dangers with:
- 8 million potential victims across 200+ groups worldwide
- Documented suicide attempts directly linked to platform use
- No accountability mechanisms for false or malicious posts
- Permanent reputational damage with no removal process
Understanding the Platforms: Core Differences
Tea Dating Advice
Comprehensive dating safety app exclusively for women, launched in 2023 by Sean Cook.
- • Criminal background checks
- • Reverse image searches
- • Anonymous rating system
- • Facial recognition verification
- • Screenshot prevention technology
- • Peak users: 4.6 million
AWDTSG (Are We Dating The Same Guy)
Network of 200+ private Facebook groups founded by Paola Sanchez in 2022.
- • City-specific Facebook groups
- • Screenshot sharing of dating profiles
- • Anonymous posting capabilities
- • Crowdsourced information sharing
- • No built-in verification tools
- • Current users: 7.8 million
Tea's Data Security Nightmare
Two Catastrophic Breaches
First Breach (July 25, 2025):
- • 72,000 images exposed, including 13,000 verification selfies with government IDs
- • Unencrypted legacy database accessible to anyone
- • Photos dumped on 4chan, leading to immediate harassment campaigns
Second Breach (Days Later):
- • 1.1 million private messages leaked containing deeply personal information
- • Real names, phone numbers, and locations exposed
- • Medical information and trauma disclosures made public
Security expert Ted Miracco noted that Tea "was not following basic cybersecurity practices" and data was "stored in such an insecure way" that multiple breaches became inevitable. The aftermath included:
- Immediate Harassment Campaign:
Users created "rating websites" using leaked ID photos, doxxing operations mapped locations, and coordinated harassment spread across social media platforms.
- Long-Term Privacy Violations:
Identity theft risks from exposed government IDs, stalking potential from location data, and professional consequences as leaked information spreads online.
AWDTSG's Hidden Mental Health Dangers
Documented Suicide Risks
While Tea's dangers are primarily technological, AWDTSG's risks are deeply psychological and have led to documented cases of severe mental health consequences:
- • Multiple reports describe men experiencing suicidal thoughts after being posted
- • One documented case: a man attempted suicide, was "clinically dead for three minutes," and spent three weeks in a psychiatric hospital after being posted in AWDTSG groups
- • Research shows that stigma and social isolation—exactly what AWDTSG posts create—increase suicide risk by 233%
Career and Relationship Destruction
Beyond mental health impacts, AWDTSG posts have documented real-world consequences:
- Job losses and professional reputations destroyed by unverified allegations
- Relationship damage and social ostracism following posts
- Family relationships severed due to false or exaggerated claims
Legal Vulnerabilities and Defamation Risks
Successful Defamation Lawsuits
- • Stuart Lucas Murray sued 50 women across multiple AWDTSG groups, seeking damages for defamation and emotional distress
- • Class action lawsuits filed claiming systematic harassment and privacy violations
- • $20,000+ settlement paid by an Australian AWDTSG admin in a defamation case
Absence of Due Process
AWDTSG's model creates significant legal exposure because it lacks basic accountability mechanisms:
- • No verification system for claims made about individuals
- • No appeal mechanism for those falsely accused
- • Permanent damage from posts that remain searchable and shareable
Comprehensive Danger Analysis
Tea App Dangers: Severe but Contained
High-Risk Factors:
- • Catastrophic data security failures
- • Government ID exposure creating identity theft risks
- • Coordinated harassment campaigns
Mitigating Factors:
- • Only 72,000 people affected by breaches
- • Security improvements implemented
- • Class action lawsuits provide compensation
AWDTSG Dangers: Widespread and Systematic
High-Risk Factors:
- • 8 million potential victims worldwide
- • No accountability mechanisms
- • Documented suicide attempts
- • Permanent reputational damage
- • Legal vulnerability for users
Aggravating Factors:
- • Exponential growth continues
- • No security improvements implemented
- • Encourages vigilante justice
Why AWDTSG Poses Greater Long-Term Danger
Scale and Scope of Harm
AWDTSG's 8 million users across 200+ groups create a potential victim pool over 100 times larger than Tea's breach-affected users. The platform's exponential growth means more people are being exposed to potential harm daily.
Severity of Documented Consequences
The documented suicide attempts and hospitalizations linked to AWDTSG posts represent the most severe possible harm. Research confirms that social stigma increases suicide risk by 233%, and AWDTSG's model systematically creates exactly this type of stigmatization.
Absence of Accountability
Unlike Tea, which has faced regulatory scrutiny and implemented security improvements following its breaches, AWDTSG operates with no oversight mechanisms, no fact-checking processes, and no appeals system for those harmed by false posts.
Permanence of Harm
Tea's breach victims can take concrete steps to mitigate damage through identity monitoring services and legal remedies. AWDTSG victims face permanent reputational damage that spreads across multiple platforms with no removal mechanism.
Recommendations for Safer Dating
For Women Seeking Dating Safety
Instead of These Platforms:
- • Use established background check services
- • Conduct independent social media research
- • Meet in public places
- • Trust your instincts
For Those Concerned About Being Posted
Immediate Actions:
- • Document any false information posted
- • Consult with defamation attorneys
- • Preserve evidence before posts are deleted
- • Report to platform administrators
Conclusion: The True Cost of Digital Vigilantism
While both Tea App and AWDTSG promise to make dating safer for women, the evidence reveals that AWDTSG poses significantly greater dangers to both users and the men they discuss. Tea's security failures, while serious, affected a limited population and prompted corrective action. AWDTSG's model systematically enables harassment, false accusations, and life-destroying consequences on a massive scale with no accountability mechanisms.
The documented cases of suicide attempts, job losses, and destroyed relationships linked to AWDTSG demonstrate that the platform's dangers extend far beyond privacy concerns into life-threatening territory. Until meaningful oversight, fact-checking, and appeals processes are implemented, AWDTSG remains the more dangerous option for anyone seeking genuine dating safety.
The lesson is clear: true safety comes from verified information, accountability, and due process—not from anonymous accusations and digital mob justice.