Wubi News

TikTokers call for 'chubby filter' to be banned

2025-03-21 17:00:09
Sadie said she didn't think the filter should be allowed on TikTok without some kind of warning
Nina said the filter made her feel 'uncomfortable'
Emma said she was concerned that young girls and boys might see the filter and think they were "the butt of the joke"

Nina said she was happy to see people criticising the trend, which she called "immoral and insensitive".

"We should be lifting each other up, not shaming each other's bodies," she said.

Sadie agreed that it should not be allowed - however, she felt there might be other things TikTok could do.

"Maybe it should have a warning," she said.

"If there's themes of body shaming or an eating disorder or anything like that, I think there should be a way of flagging it where, if these people want to post it, they post it, but it doesn't get pushed to a wider audience."

This filter appeared on my TikTok "For You" page the other day despite me not engaging with any weight-related or health content.

After watching the video and reading the comments that was it - the way TikTok's algorithm works means it began to suggest me similar videos from other people using the filter, and even another where AI can turn you thinner.

Thankfully it also began to start showing me creators who were criticising the trend, some of whom we've spoken to for this article.

AI images and filters have become commonplace on TikTok and quickly accepted to be used for fun - the same way some Gen-Zs and Millennials might remember Snapchat filters.

But filters like these, although they may seem fun, can be very damaging to someone's mental health and encourage them to compare themselves not only to others, but an unrealistic version of themselves.