Instagram is rolling out new policies around content that promotes weight loss products and cosmetic procedures.
Going forward, users under 18 will be blocked from seeing such content.
In addition, content promoting unrealistic claims about diet or weight loss products will be outright removed from Instagram.
Instagram’s public policy manager Emma Collins explains why these changes are being made:
“We want Instagram to be a positive place for everyone that uses it and this policy is part of our ongoing work to reduce the pressure that people can sometimes feel as a result of social media.”
The policy change will extend to similar content on Facebook. A feature will also be rolled out that allows users to report posts that violate these new policies.
A Campaign for Change
A campaign called “I Weigh” is said to have played a role in getting these policy changes implemented.
Actress Jameela Jamil started the campaign last year and celebrated the change in a recent Instagram post:
“THIS IS HUGE NEWS. @i_weight are changing the world together. After a bunch of shouting, screaming, and petitioning… we have managed to get the attention of the people at the top, and they have heard us and want to protect us.”
It’s worth noting that Instagram’s advertising policies never allowed for promotion of weight loss products and cosmetic procedures.
Given the growing trend of influencers and celebrities promoting these products in organic posts, it was necessary to implement additional policies.
