TikTok, the popular short video social network, has accepted millions of dollars in advertising revenue from companies selling products that claim to guarantee extreme weight loss through laxative drinks and fitness regimens.
Outside of the questionable ethics behind this practice, it is questioned that the platform has gone against its own policies, calling into question its publicly expressed commitment to the care of the health and well-being of its users.
TikTok recorded millionaire revenue from advertising that contravenes its own rules
According to an analysis shared by Media Matters with Business Insider, the platform sold $4.3 million worth of ads to companies owned by digital wellness firm Kilo Group. This spend took place between November 1, 2022, and January 7, 2023, and the ads were viewed 415 million times, according to digital ad research tool Pathmatics.
The ads primarily promoted two of the Kilo company’s brands: ColonBroom and Beyond Body. ColonBroom sells a laxative drink that it claims could allow you to lose 90 pounds of weight in two weeks. Beyond Body sells nutrition tips and plans that target the “problem” body parts that users want to lose weight. Both made weight-loss promises that one subject matter expert told Insider were unrealistic and potentially harmful.
Following Insider’s inquiries, TikTok reported that some posts were hidden from certain users and some had been removed, but did not specify when this occurred. ColonBroom and Kilo admitted the campaigns were problematic, though Beyond Body defended its products.
Importantly, TikTok has established policies to protect the health and well-being of its users, including prohibiting the promotion of extreme weight loss-related products or services.
In 2020, TikTok established in its advertising guidelines that content could not “promise that the product alone, without diet or exercise, can lead to weight gain or loss”, nor could it exacerbate the performance of the product or ensure certain results. The platform also banned content that uses the “users’ insecurities to conform to certain ideals or standards of beauty».
Despite the platform’s expressed commitment, accepting this advertising revenue calls into question its commitment to these policies and its responsibility to protect its users.
