TikTok recently banned search results for the popular weight-loss hashtag, citing a growing number of posts that violated community guidelines.

The social media company, owned by China’s ByteDance, faced considerable pressure from the European Union as the hashtag gained traction. TikTok, a platform where misinformation and dangerous rhetoric often spreads far and wide,

TikTok is preventing users searching for "skinnytok" - a hashtag which critics say directs people towards content which "idolises extreme thinness." Content associated with the hashtag includes videos showing people's work-out routines or what they eat in a day.