Officials in Europe worried that the app was glamorizing eating disorders. The ban is TikTok’s latest effort to counter criticism about its effect on teen mental health.
TikTok has suspended search results for the hashtag #SkinnyTok, after facing pressure from European regulators, in the company’s latest effort to counter criticism that the app fuels body image issues among young people.
The company said on Tuesday that it “blocked search results for #skinnytok since it has become linked to unhealthy weight loss content,” but did not specify when it made the shift. SkinnyTok used to surface videos on the platform about extreme weight loss tactics, including restrictive eating.
The European Commission investigated the #SkinnyTok trend after an April push from France’s digital minister, citing concerns that TikTok was promoting extreme thinness and glamorizing anorexia.
TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese tech giant ByteDance, and apps like Meta’s Instagram have long faced criticism that their algorithms, which identify and cater to users’ interests, can inadvertently target vulnerable young women with videos and images that promote eating disorders and unhealthy body image.
The apps have sought for years to block and redirect terms like “thinspo” to mental health resources, but critics say they have not done enough. The inquiry into #SkinnyTok emerged just over a year after European Union regulators opened an investigation into TikTok over potential breaches of online content rules aimed at protecting children. The investigation is ongoing.
“Superficially, at least, this is a positive move, especially given the quite harmful content that circulates on these sites,” said Brooke Erin Duffy, a professor of communication at Cornell University who studied the role of social media in work, culture and society. “At the same time, users are savvy. They know how to work these platforms and how to evade their content moderation systems.”