EU regulators probe SkinnyTok trend on TikTok

EU regulators are looking into a wave of social media videos promoting extreme thinness under the hashtag “SkinnyTok” to assess whether TikTok is doing enough to protect kids online.

In past weeks the “SkinnyTok” trend has flooded TikTok as users post videos offering weight loss tips and show emaciated young women promoting extreme diets. The videos have racked up millions of views as medical experts warn of a dangerous Gen Z rebrand of pro-anorexia communities that first surfaced online two decades ago.

That’s garnered the attention of digital ministers in several European countries, with France’s Clara Chappaz calling the trend “unacceptable.”

“These videos promote extreme thinness. Protecting minors online is one of my priorities,” the minister said in a video posted to TikTok on Friday.

Following a request from Chappaz to French media regulator Arcom to look into the matter, Arcom told POLITICO it is working with the European Commission to investigate “given the public health risk” the trend may pose. 

Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told POLITICO that the Commission is “aware of the issue raised” by France and is “ready to cooperate” with them.

The Commission opened a probe into TikTok's algorithm and how it affects minors last February under the bloc’s content moderation rulebook, the Digital Services Act. As part of that investigation, the Commission is also investigating how TikTok’s algorithm promotes content around eating disorders. Regnier hinted that the Commission could now take further action under the existing probe.

The investigation remains at an early stage, a French regulatory official said. Talks between Arcom and TikTok are being set up, and discussions with the platform’s trust and safety teams in Dublin are expected shortly, they said.

Point de Contact, an organization recently named by Arcom as a “trusted flagger” under the Digital Services Act, also confirmed their teams are looking into the matter in coordination with authorities. 

“The difficulty is to prove that the content is illegal, and that the message is directly targeted at minors,” a Point de Contact spokesperson told POLITICO. “But it’s certain that TikTok isn’t scanning this hashtag fast enough. We will see how they react.”

TikTok said it does not allow “body shaming” and that the platform limits “access to content that presents harmful body ideals.” It has added a disclaimer on the content — users searching for the hashtag “SkinnyTok” now see a platform-generated message that reads “Your weight doesn’t define you” above the dieting tips.

The latest scrutiny adds to TikTok’s broader dispute with the European Commission. Last year, the company was forced to backtrack on the launch of a new app, TikTok Lite, in several European countries including France and Spain. The app offered users financial rewards for spending more time scrolling but was considered to carry a high addiction risk that could be harmful to mental health.

TikTok ultimately ditched plans to roll out the service across the EU.

Pieter Haeck contributed reporting.