An AI filter used on videos uploaded to TikTok that allows users to post videos or images of themselves and others as if they gained weight is no longer available on the site.
The so-called "chubby filter" was used on an undetermined number of videos using CapCut, an app owned by TikTok's parent company ByteDance that offers video templates. Before it was pulled, some users made videos criticizing the trend, saying it may be damaging to people's body images, especially teenagers.
A spokesperson for TikTok told CNET that the CapCut template was removed from the video-editing app and that TikTok is not recommending videos using the filter or displaying the videos to users who are identified as teens.
Before the filter was pulled, media outlets took notice. The Cut and the BBC warned readers about the filter, and a writer for Cosmopolitan UK called out the technology, saying, "with filters like this popping up, it seems like the fight against body shaming is still on."
Searching for the filter after it began to make headlines generated a disclaimer at the top of the search results that 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 disclaimer linked to TikTok's Safety Center resource page and a website to find local service providers who can help.
