TikTok has blocked a hashtag that users were using to promote extreme thinness, according to a report by the BBC.
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Under the hashtag #skinnytok, users posted videos showing their workout routines and diets, but many critics pointed out that the content promoted extreme thinness.
After TikTok blocked the term, people trying to search for the hashtag are now redirected to organizations that promote mental health.
Tom Quinn, from the eating disorder charity Beat, praised the initiative but emphasized that he believes the platform can do more to combat this type of content.
“We know that users often find ways around content blocks and that there will still be harmful content […] that TikTok and other social media platforms now need to address,” he told BBC News.
According to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders in the U.S., the hashtag content was “glorifying thinness and demonizing weight gain,” all while “promoting” eating disorders.
In its statement, TikTok said it regularly reviews its safety measures to “address risks.” “We continue to restrict videos from teen accounts and provide health experts and information in TikTok Search,” the company said.
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