Tech

Pinterest bans ads for slimming products, a first for a social network

The social network announced to ban all advertisements for weight loss and slimming products on its site. Pinterest already had a strict policy against body shaming in advertisements.

Pinterest goes ” ban all ads containing text or images related to weight loss The company announced in a blog post. The decision comes as the ” bad eating habits and disorders peaked among young people “During the Covid-19 pandemic and the various confinements, according to American associations specializing in eating disorders.

Often forgotten between Facebook and more modern social networks, Pinterest has more than 450 million monthly users, and remains one of the major players on the Internet. News like this is therefore particularly important for advertisers – and for other social networks.

Pinterest // Source: Fahim R. / Unsplash

What will change?

Since July 1, 2021, advertisements promoting slimming products are prohibited are the platform. ” A lot [de jeunes] feel additional pressure to physically return to their social circles for the first time in 15 months And the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, explains Pinterest.

Concretely, the ban on Pinterest covers several types of publications, advertisements and products. The following are therefore prohibited:

  • the ” texts or images about weight loss “,
  • the ” testimonials regarding weight loss or diet products “,
  • texts or images which ” idealize or denigrate certain body types “,
  • the ” references to body mass index (BMI) or similar indicess “,
  • and publications for ” products to wear or apply to the skin that claim to allow weight loss “.

This is not the first time that Pinterest has taken a decision in this direction: the platform already banned ads for:

  • the ” appetite suppressant tablets, for weight loss and dietary supplements “,
  • the ” images before / after weight loss “,
  • the ” interventions for weight loss, such as liposuction, or fat burning “,
  • the “body shaming, in the form of pictures or words that mock or discredit certain body types or physical appearances “,
  • and the ” claims about unrealistic cosmetic results “.

Pinterest specifies, however, that ” advertisements that promote healthy lifestyles and habits or fitness products and services will continue to be permitted, as long as they do not focus on weight loss “.

Pinterest // Source: Charles Deluvio / Unsplash

A fuzzy limit

The limit will certainly sometimes be difficult to draw, especially in the case of texts or images ” idealizing certain morphologies “. These new directives may also be complex to put in place and to supervise. At this time, therefore, many questions remain unanswered, and the effects of Pinterest’s decision to remove these ads may not be immediately apparent.

The ban on publications promoting weight loss products is nevertheless a welcome decision, especially since other platforms have not adopted such practices – at least for the moment. Instagram, one of the social networks most used by young people, still advised its users to research slimming products.

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