Congress Expands Investigation into Gossip App TeaOnHer
WASHINGTON — The House Oversight Committee is broadening its inquiry into Newville Media Corp., the controversial company behind TeaOnHer, a now-defunct gossip app that allowed men to disclose the identities of women they dated. This app faced serious backlash for allegedly leaking sensitive information, including nude photos.
On Thursday, lawmakers requested information from the Utah-based company regarding the transfer of user data from TeaOnHer to its new platform, Trinity Social. This platform markets itself as a comprehensive social media site that resembles Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, with added “OnlyFans Style Features.”
“You stated to the Commission that TeaOnHer users primarily shared personal content, yet prior to the transition to Trinity Social, you mentioned a ‘review model’ where users could comment on others,” said the Oversight Commission. Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who heads the Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Subcommittee, reached out to Newville’s founder, Xavier Lumpkin.
The investigation into TeaOnHer started last year following alarming reports about the app’s ability to expose personal details of women linked to men who used the platform. This included the leaking of government IDs and private images soon after the app’s launch.
Comer and Mace expressed concerns, stating, “We worry that the pornographic material on Trinity Social may also be non-consensual and could violate federal laws.”
TeaOnHer, which was supposed to be a competitor in the market, quickly found itself banned from Apple’s App Store after experiencing a major data breach that affected around 86,000 users.
“We migrated the user base from TeaOnHer to Trinity Social without giving them a chance to opt out,” the lawmakers noted in their communication with Lumpkin.
Moreover, accusations have surfaced that TeaOnHer disseminated sensitive material concerning minors. Lawmakers presented screenshots which suggested that the app required parents or guardians to provide proof, like birth certificates, to have posts about minors removed—documents that weren’t necessary for initial access to the app.
The Oversight Committee also pointed out that Trinity Social does not have an age verification system to stop minors from encountering explicit content.
Comer and Mace mentioned that the platform lacks even basic notifications for users about the potential for pornographic content, nor does it ask users to verify that they are over 18 before using it.
Last year, the Oversight Committee demanded that Newville Media hand over a significant quantity of data, including internal communications related to TeaOnHer, and safeguard critical information concerning the app.
On Thursday, the committee raised concerns that Newville Media may be attempting to erase evidence by shutting down TeaOnHer.
“In your November reply, you mentioned that TeaOnHer’s ‘existing content’ was being retained for research. Despite this, it appears you have deactivated both TeaOnHer.com and the app,” the lawmakers stated. “The Commission is troubled that these actions might indicate you didn’t preserve the content and could obstruct our investigation.”
As part of this expanded exploration into Newville Media, the Oversight Committee hopes to gather additional communications focusing on TeaOnHer, including exchanges with Lumpkin and his legal representatives.
Documentation is also being sought regarding the August data breach, user communications from TeaOnHer, dialogue with Apple concerning the app’s status, details about the data transition to Trinity Social, and how the data from TeaOnHer is stored.
Comer and Mace have set a deadline for Newville Media to respond by February 26.
Efforts to reach Lumpkin and Newville Media for comments were unsuccessful at the time.
