- A study found one in 10 YouTube recommendations to a simulated teenage user promoted harmful eating disorder content.
- The findings come a year after tougher UK online safety rules came into force.
- Google says the videos identified in the report have now been removed.
YouTube is still recommending eating disorder-related videos to teenagers despite stricter UK online safety rules introduced a year ago, according to new research that has renewed concerns over how the platform's recommendation algorithm works.
The study, carried out by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), found that one in 10 videos recommended to a simulated 13-year-old girl contained material promoting extreme dieting, "thinspiration" or unhealthy calorie restriction.
While researchers said the situation had improved compared with 2024, they argued harmful content was still reaching young users despite legal obligations introduced under the Online Safety Act.
Algorithms still under the spotlight
To test YouTube's recommendation system, the CCDH created a UK-based profile representing a 13-year-old girl and watched 10 videos related to dieting and body image.
Researchers then analysed the next 100 videos suggested by YouTube's Up Next feature. Around 10 per cent were classified as harmful eating disorder content. In a similar experiment conducted in 2024, the figure stood at 25 per cent.
The organisation repeated the test using teenage profiles in the US and the EU, reporting similar findings.
Examples included videos promoting extremely low-calorie diets, "thinspiration" compilations and content encouraging unhealthy weight loss. Researchers also found that none of the harmful videos identified triggered YouTube's crisis support panels, which are designed to direct users to trusted help services.
The findings come after Ofcom warned that platforms including YouTube and TikTok still needed stronger measures to protect children online.
Calls for stronger safeguards
Key provisions of the Online Safety Act took effect in July 2025, requiring online platforms to protect users under 18 from harmful material, including content promoting self-harm, suicide and eating disorders.
The law also requires companies to assess how recommendation algorithms may expose young users to dangerous content. Companies that fail to meet their duties can face fines of up to 10 per cent of their global annual revenue.
Google said it prohibits content that encourages eating disorders while allowing recovery stories to remain available. A spokesperson reportedly said the company had removed the videos identified in the CCDH report for breaching its community guidelines and remained committed to protecting users.
The company added that it works with organisations including the NHS, Mind and The Mix to improve its approach to mental health and has introduced expert-curated content for teenagers searching topics such as depression and eating disorders.
The CCDH focused on YouTube because it remains the most widely used online platform among young people in the UK. According to Ofcom, 88 per cent of children aged 3 to 17 use the service.
Vanessa Longley, chief executive of eating disorder charity Beat, reportedly said supportive online communities can benefit people in recovery but around 90 per cent of those contacting the charity say they have encountered harmful content online, according to a BBC report.
The research also comes as the Government prepares further measures that would prevent children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and X, with the proposals expected to take effect in spring 2027.
