TikTok has taken action to block the term '#skinnytok' globally due to concerns that it encourages unhealthy weight-loss behaviors and the glamorization of eating disorders among young women. This restriction began on June 1 and is part of a broader effort to address risks identified by regulators, particularly in Europe. The hashtag was linked to content that endorsed extreme thinness via unhealthy methods like anorexia and bulimia. As a response, searches will now redirect users towards mental health resources, signifying a significant shift towards prioritizing user safety.
The video-sharing app implemented a worldwide crackdown on the term as of June 1, and took steps to restrict all search results for the hashtag.
'We have blocked search results for #skinnytok since it has become linked to unhealthy weight loss content,' TikTok spokesperson Paolo Ganino said in a statement last week.
Both the European Commission and French digital regulator Arcom took notice and stepped in. The European Commission investigated the trend after France's Digital Minister Clara Chappaz pushed for an in-depth exploration of the online sphere.
When news of the ban broke, Clara wrote triumphantly on X: 'Skinnytok is OVER! This is a first collective victory. I salute it.'
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