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John,
We just got more devastating proof that online ID checks are a disaster waiting to happen.
The day after Fight’s Lia Holland called out the Tea app in Business
Insider,1 tens of thousands of identity verification images and photo
IDs leaked from its poorly-secured database.2 Tea is a platform that
encourages women to trade photos and information about prospective dates
and even pay data brokers for info on men.3 Users submitted ID photos
at the app’s demand to “prove” their gender to join,3 under the false
promise of data deletion and anonymity. But here’s the rub—that data wasn’t anonymous OR deleted! Tech
profits once again won out over privacy, and now, Tea’s users are
seeing their locations posted to public maps and their appearances
ranked on 4chan in real time.4
Can you rush a donation to the Stop Online ID Checks campaign to end this dangerous practice before it’s too late?
STOP ONLINE ID CHECKS
When it comes to online ID checks, horrific privacy violations are a feature, not a bug.While in this case, only one app’s users were affected, lawmakers pushing online ID check bills want to make it mandatory to submit our driver’s licenses, credit card info, and even face scans to insecure third-party databases to view any content they deem “inappropriate”—or even to access social media at all.5 These ID verification services leak6 all the time, leaving everyone vulnerable to Tea-style privacy nightmares.
We refuse to let data breaches like this become the price we pay for using social media, reading the news, or seeking healthcare. That’s why we're organizing to Stop Online ID Checks. From building a creator toolkit and interactive bill tracker to delivering thousands of letters to lawmakers and rallying 90+ groups in an open letter, we’ve worked hard to put the serious threat of online ID checks on everyone’s radar.5
Now, it’s even clearer how urgent it is to sustain this fight. No one should have to choose between their right to privacy and their right to free expression online. The best way to fuel the fight against online ID checks is to start a monthly gift
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any amount you can spare is hugely impactful for an org of our size.
Can we count on your support?
JOIN THE FIGHT
If making a donation isn’t in the cards, we completely understand. Make sure you’ve contacted your lawmakers with your opposition to online ID checks,5 and stay tuned for more urgent actions.7 And for good measure, don’t trust any app that creepily demands your ID or a scan of your face
For privacy for all,
Alex and the team at Fight for the Future
Footnotes:
1. Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-nightmare-tea-whisper-network-apps-save-us-2025-7
2. ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/new-dating-advice-app-tea-rockets-1-app/story
3. NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/tea-app-hacked-13000-photos-leaked-4chan-call-action-rcna221139
4. Garbage Day: https://www.garbageday.email/p/the-tea-app-and-the-future-of-online-surveillance-16aa944529b0cb6e
5. Stop Online ID Checks: https://www.stoponlineidchecks.org/
6. 404 Media: https://www.404media.co/id-verification-service-for-tiktok-uber-x-exposed-driver-licenses-au10tix
7. Urgent Actions Signal Chat: https://www.fightforthefuture.org/signal
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