Although the platform bans content promoting dangerous weight loss, hashtags such as #skinnycheck can still be found
![‘It spreads like a disease’: how pro-eating-disorder videos reach teens on TikTok](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/ee023504b2a46170a7e8dcc60cfbdab8f492f53f/0_356_7035_4221/master/7035.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=d3d524c459633fd31ee1a7d0af7f5af3)
Instagram has attracted a firestorm after whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed internal research showing the platform downplayed proof of its toxic effects – including the rise of eating disorders – on children.
But such issues are not limited to the Facebook-owned
Social Media company. The Guardian has found a variety of harmful pro-anorexia hashtags remain searchable on the popular video-sharing app TikTok, where corresponding videos have billions of views combined.