Overview
- TikTok globally blocked search results for #skinnytok on June 3 and redirects users to a page with eating disorder support links.
- The #skinnytok hashtag had become a hub for videos glorifying extreme thinness and unsafe diet practices, mainly among young women.
- EU regulators, backed by France’s digital minister Clara Chappaz, pressed TikTok through petitions and a Digital Services Act investigation into youth safety.
- Observers warn that users can bypass the block by tweaking the hashtag, such as searching “skinnytok motivation,” which still yields harmful content.
- Officials are now pushing for comprehensive solutions, including possible under-15 social media bans and greater media literacy and mental health resources.