Users are ticked off that the social media giant TikTok allegedly received millions in exchange for diet culture ads on the platform, according to whistleblowers.
The video-sharing platform reportedly accepted $4.3 million from the so-called wellness company Kilo Group, reports Media Matters.
Adverts crafted by the Lithuanian conglomerate seemingly promoted unattainable weight loss goals mostly by way of its two largest subsidiaries, Beyond Body and ColonBroom, which allegedly promised consumers quick weight loss solutions, such as a flat tummy and total body transformations, according to watchdogs.
Data from Pathmatics said that TikTok spent $4.3 million between Nov. 1, 2022, and Jan. 7, 2023, Media Matters reported, which comes years after the app modified its advertising guidelines.
In 2020, TikTok restricted ad campaigns for dieting and weight loss, stating that the content could not “promise that the product alone, without diet or exercise can lead to weight loss or gain,” nor could it exaggerate the performance of the product or guarantee certain results. The company also banned content that takes advantage of users’ “insecurities to conform to certain beauty ideals or standards.”
“We’re introducing new ad policies that ban ads for fasting apps and weight loss supplements and increase restrictions on ads that promote a harmful or negative body image,” Tara Wadhwa, safety policy manager for TikTok, said in a 2020 statement.
“These types of ads do not support the...
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