A CONTROVERSIAL TikTok filter has been banned after experts warned it created a “toxic” online culture.
The “chubby filter” used A.I to make it appear as though users had dramatically gained weight.
Filters are common on TikTok and are often used in videos to a comedic effect.
Some filters take the form of an interactive quiz, while others might minimise the appearance of wrinkles or acne.
Users were sharing “before” and “after” images of themselves using the chubby filter, displaying their usual look in one photo and a heavier appearance in another.
However, experts warned that this could contribute to a toxic diet culture.
As a result, TikTok stepped in to ban the filter altogether.
The move has been celebrated by activists including food and nutrition scientist Dr Emma Beckett.
Dr Emma said that the trend was a “huge step backwards” in how we talk about weight.
Expressing her thoughts to the BBC, she remarked: “It’s simply perpetuating outdated misconceptions and clichés about individuals with larger bodies, portraying them as lazy and imperfect, something to be actively avoided.
“The apprehension of gaining weight contributes to the development of eating disorders and dissatisfaction with one’s body, promoting a harmful diet culture that leads individuals to fixate unhealthily on food and exercise, leaving them vulnerable to deceptive products and trendy diets.”
The filter had originally been uploaded to CapCut, a tech firm belonging to TikTok’s own parent company ByteDance.
However, TikTok have distanced themselves from the filter.
A spokesperson for the brand said: “These effects are not ‘TikTok effects’, nor were they directly available through our app.
“They were uploaded by users to CapCut and have now been removed by CapCut.”
Before the ban, searching for the chubby filter led to a disclaimer message by TikTok.
The message read: “You are more than your weight.
“If you or someone you know has questions about body image, food, or exercise — it is important to know that help is out there and you are not alone.
“If you feel comfortable, you can confide in someone you trust or check out the resources below.
“Please remember to take care of yourselves and each other.”
The filter is far from the first to go viral on TikTok, with the “aged” filter taking the app by storm in 2023.
The “aged” filter allowed fans to guess what their friends or favourite celebrities might look like when they are elderly.
However, critics slammed the filter as they argued it pushed a narrative which suggested that aging was negative.
Other viral TikTok filters have been more warmly received.
The Do Re Mi filter allowed users to test out their singing skills, as they tried to hit the correct musical note in order to navigate a virtual ball through various barriers.
TikTok: Brief guide to the world’s most downloaded app
- TikTok lets users create and share short videos with music and camera effects
- The hit app is best known for short dance videos, lip-syncing clips, comedy sketches, and talent footage
- It is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, founded by the entrepreneur Zhang Yiming
- The $200billion conglomerate acquired the Musical.ly app in 2017 and merged it with TikTok, bringing millions of new users
- By February 2019, TikTok and Douyin had been downloaded more than a billion times
- It was the most-downloaded app on the App Store in 2018 and 2019
- Cyber experts have expressed concern over ByteDance’s alleged links to the Chinese government
- The Department of Defense has urged its employees to avoid using the app over national security concerns
- TikTok says it does not and would not share user data with the Chinese government
