Minister demands that Tiktok takes measures against ‘skinnytok’ films that promote leanness
Minister of Digitization Vanessa Matz. – © Kristof Vadino
Minister of Digitization Vanessa Matz (Les Engagés) demands measures from Tiktok and the European authorities against ‘SkinnyTok’, the Tiktok-Trend that promotes extremely slim among young people. Matz wants such phenomena to be recognized as ‘system risk’ under the European DigitalDienstenwet (DSA).
Source: Belga
Today at 6:40 PM
Various media reported in recent days about the phenomenon of ‘SkinnyTok’, which goes viral on Tiktok. Behind the hashtag is a glorification of extremely slim, with dangerous diets and unrealistic body images. The algorithm of the platform promotes such videos, which are viewed en masse by young people.
Minister Matz now sounds the alarm. « SkinnyTok is not just a trend or a hashtag, it becomes a spiral through algorithms that holds young people in a harmful vision of their body, which can lead to very serious and dangerous behavior. Letting this contents are freely circulating means closing the eyes for a risk. Platforms must be held responsible for managing their algorithms, » she says in a press release.
System risk
The minister therefore seizes the DSA. This DSA contains harmonized rules at European level, which imposes large platforms a stronger responsibility in terms of risk management. For example, they must analyze the system risks of their services in the field of public health, disinformation, hate sowing and violations of the basic rights, and protect users against this every year. The minister now wants phenomena that promote dangerous eating habits, such as ‘skinnytok’, are recognized as a system risk. Matz thereby demands « concrete measures, in consultation with the European Commission and the competent Belgian authorities, such as BIPT ».
According to Matz, Tiktok claims that it moderates content that promotes dangerous eating habits, but the reality is that there is no strict regulation. Matz denounces that the platform is satisfied with the display of information pages about eating disorders, without preventing the mass spread of the harmful content.
