Hashtag bans are symbolic and have limited reach. We need to treat the systems, not the symptoms.
When TikTok recently removed the #SkinnyTok hashtag worldwide, its move was met with global relief, especially in Europe.
When used in searches on the platform, it had become a gateway to extreme dieting videos, “thinspiration” content, pro-ana (pro anorexia) sites and dangerous messaging aimed at young users.
It should not have taken this long – two months – for TikTok to remove it. EU regulators had lobbied against it, and experts had flagged content like this for years.
Dr Chew Han Ei is senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore, and a board member of SG Her Empowerment.