This ban, hailed as a political and societal victory, is cause for celebration. For the past few days, the #SkinnyTok trend has been banned on TikTok. More than just a hashtag, the movement, denounced by European authorities and several victims' groups, has been promoting extreme diets, emaciated bodies, and dangerous advice, primarily aimed at teenage girls, for several months now. The initiative didn't come out of nowhere and is part of a long-term trend. After promoting the BBL, the trend is now toward thinness.
The French authorities, through the voice of Digital Minister Clara Chappaz, have issued numerous warnings, eventually obtaining the hashtag's removal worldwide. Users searching for #SkinnyTok are now redirected to prevention messages and support resources, a system already applied to other sensitive keywords. This decision comes as the European Commission investigates TikTok's algorithm and its responsibility in the dissemination of content that is dangerous to minors. European regulators, as well as family associations, denounce the platforms' inability to stem the spread of this content, despite repeated reports.
Very limited effectiveness
While the ban on #SkinnyTok is a landmark event, its actual effectiveness is widely disputed. In reality, problematic content has not disappeared: it migrates to other hashtags, spelling variations, or new codes, such as #Skinny, #Thinspo, or #Bonespo, thus escaping automated moderation. This adaptation of language is a constant among online communities, which know how to circumvent bans and reformulate their discourse to survive censorship. In the era of Skyblogs, content promoting bulimia and anorexia had already relied on similar circumvention techniques.
TikTok's algorithm, meanwhile, continues to recommend content similar to that already viewed, creating a feedback loop that continues to expose young people to models of extreme thinness and dangerous advice. Furthermore, the glorification of extreme thinness is not limited to TikTok. Fashion, advertising, and traditional media continue to promote ultra-thin bodies.
It's also worth remembering that pro-ana forums and online communities related to eating disorders do more than just promote eating disorders. While these spaces can lead to a radicalization of discourse, online communities sometimes serve as spaces for mutual support, where Internet users share their progress.
The banning of #SkinnyTok is undeniably a symbolic victory for the organizations and families involved. But it only addresses the surface of a systemic problem: as long as society continues to glorify extreme thinness and the control of women's bodies, young people will always find new codes and new spaces to express themselves.
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