The short video app has introduced new global policies that address harmful body messaging.
A new global TikTok marketing policy is rolling out to address the harmful weight loss marketing that has flooded the platform.
The app has bumped up its restrictions on the types of advertising it will permit.
Among the TikTok marketing changes that have been made include specific restrictions on the types of ads permitted with reference to body image. The app has already outright banned many types of video, particularly many of those related to advertising fasting apps or weight loss supplements. Without the resources to investigate the merit of each product, it has taken on a policy of caution first in this category. Now, it has bumped up restrictions on ads that are promoting negative and potentially harmful body image.
Weight management product advertising is permitted only to viewers aged 18 and older. That said, they are only permitted within certain boundaries. Irresponsible claims and those promoting negative body image, a negative relationship with food, and other potentially damaging perspectives are banned from the platform.
The new TikTok marketing restrictions have also included additional comment filter, blocking and reporting tools.
The platform has added features and tools for users who are struggling with eating disorders and weight stigma. They can report and block and are also able to use comment filter controls to keep their experience appropriate for themselves.
“As a society, weight stigma and body shaming pose both individual and cultural challenges, and we know that the internet, if left unchecked, has the risk of exacerbating such issues,” read an official TikTok blog post. “That’s why we’re focused on working to safeguard our community from harmful content and behavior while supporting an inclusive – and body-positive – environment.”
That app isn’t the only social media platform that has been accused of promoting negative body image. Many of the most popular platforms seem to be a place in which well being and wellness influencers and ultra-skinny body shamers.
In addition to its TikTok marketing changes, the platform is also partnering with the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) in the United States, to offer its users enhanced support. When a user in the US searchers for certain specific hashtags or keywords, it will result in redirection to the NEDA helpline.