New Delhi: Apple is now removing dating review applications like Tea Dating Advice and TeaOnHer from its App Store, citing violations of its content moderation and privacy rules. The applications were pulled globally on October 21, after Apple found that the developers did not meet the required standards for moderation and protecting user data Apple’s App Store guidelines 1.2, 5.1.2, and 5.6. Rule 1.2 requires applications to have a tool to report and block inappropriate content and to remove objectionable material.
Rule 5.1.2 prohibits sharing personal information without consent, and Rule 5.6 states that the application must manage excessive negative reviews and follow the Developer Code of Conduct. Apple also reported that the application had an excessive number of user complaints, including reports of people sharing personal details of minors. Before taking any action, Apple contacted the developers to fix the issues, but the problems were not addressed, leaving Apple with no choice but to remove the applications.
Tea was primarily designed to let women rate the men they were dating, marking them with red flags or green flags. The application launched in 2023 and went viral earlier this year, but its popularity led to a data breach, raising serious privacy concerns. TeaOnHer was created by a different developer after Tea gained fame, and it also faced major security issues. The developer has publicly commented on the removals. Both of the applications are still available on Google Play, and several copycat applications have appeared on the App Store. This highlights Apple’s strict approach to content moderation and user privacy, primarily when the application handles sensitive personal information.
