Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Views on TikTok hashtags hosting eating disorder content continue to climb, research says

Views on TikTok hashtags hosting eating disorder content continue to climb, research says

New analysis from the Centre for Countering Digital Hate found that views on TikTok content using hashtags it previously identified as hosting eating-disorder material grew by 1.6 billion from November to January. But TikTok says it has removed harmful content.

TikTok videos using hashtags previously identified as hosting eating-disorder content are continuing to attract views, new research by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate has found.

A December report by the campaign group identified "coded" hashtags where users could access potentially harmful videos promoting restrictive diets and so-called "thinspo" content, designed to encourage harmful weight loss.

New analysis of those hashtags by the organisation found that since the study, just seven had been removed from the platform and only three carried a health warning on the UK version of the app.

But TikTok said it had removed content which violates its rules, which do not allow the promotion or glorification of eating disorders.

The Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) said the hashtags it found still on the platform had amassed 1.6 billion more views, which the UK's leading eating disorder charity Beat has called "extremely concerning".

"There is no excuse for harmful hashtags and videos being on TikTok in the first place," Andrew Radford, Beat's Chief Executive said.

"The company should immediately identify and remove damaging content as soon as it is uploaded," he told Sky News.

Content warning: this article contains references to eating disorders.

TikTok's community guidelines restrict eating disorder-related content on its platform and this includes hashtags explicitly associated with it.

But users will often make subtle edits to terminology so they can continue posting potentially harmful material about eating disorders without being spotted by TikTok's moderators.

'Coded' language to avoid detection

In its December report, the CCDH identified 56 TikTok hashtags using "coded" language, under which it found potentially harmful eating disorder content.

The CCDH also found 35 of the hashtags contained a high concentration of pro-eating disorder videos, while it said 21 contained a mix of harmful content and healthy discussion.

Among the material found in both categories were videos promoting unhealthy weight loss, restrictive diets and "thinspo".

In November, the views across these hashtags stood at 13.2 billion. When CCDH reviewed them in January, it found that the number of views on videos using the hashtags had grown to more than 14.8 billion.

Since the original study, CCDH says seven of the hashtags it identified had been removed from the platform altogether.

Four of those hosted predominantly pro-eating disorder content, while three contained both positive and harmful videos.

In the review, the CCDH found when accessed by US users, 37 of the hashtags they identified carried a safety warning directing users to the US's leading eating disorder charity.

However, the same review found that for UK users, just three of those hashtags carry the same kind of warning.

Centre for Countering Digital Hate found 56 hashtags associated with eating disorder content. 35 of those contained a high concentration of pro-eating disorder content.
'Outcry' by parents

"TikTok is clearly capable of adding warnings to English language content that might harm but is choosing not to implement this for English language content in the UK," said Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate.

"There can be no clearer example of the way the enforcement of purportedly universal rules of these platforms are actually implemented partially, selectively, and only when platforms feel under real pressure by governments," he told Sky News.

The new research also indicates that most of the people accessing material under these hashtags are young.

Using TikTok's own data analytics tool, CCDH found that 91% of views on 21 of the hashtags came from users under the age of 24. This tool, however, is limited as TikTok does not include data for any users under the age of 18.

"Despite an outcry from parents, politicians and the general public, three months later this content continues to grow and spread unchecked," Mr Ahmed added.

"Every view represents a potential victim - someone whose mental health might be harmed by negative body image content, someone who might start restricting their diet to dangerously low levels," he said.

Following CCDH's findings, a group of charities - including the NSPCC, the Molly Russell Foundation and the US and UK arms of the American Psychological Foundation - have called on TikTok to improve its moderation policies in a letter to its head of safety, Eric Han.

Responding to the findings, a spokesperson for TikTok said: "Our community guidelines are clear that we do not allow the promotion, normalisation or glorification of eating disorders, and we have removed content mentioned in this report that violates these rules.

"We are open to feedback and scrutiny, and we seek to engage constructively with partners who have expertise on these complex issues, as we do with NGOs in the US and UK."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Non-EU Holiday Home Purchases
German Intelligence Labels AfD as Far-Right Extremist
Geert Wilders Threatens Dutch Coalition Over Migration Policy
Hungary Faces Multiple Challenges Amid EU Tensions and Political Shifts
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
×