YouTube's "Up Next" algorithm continues to recommend videos promoting eating disorders to teenage users, according to new research published a year after the introduction of regulations designed to curb harmful online content. The Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that one in 10 videos suggested by the platform's algorithm featured content such as thinspiration or extreme calorie restriction, despite an overall improvement in the situation over the past two years.
The CCDH conducted an experiment by setting up a simulated account for a 13-year-old girl who viewed unsafe diet and body image content for the first time. After this initial viewing, researchers analysed the next 100 videos recommended by YouTube's algorithm. In 2026, ten of these recommendations were classified as harmful eating disorder content. This marks an improvement from 2024, when the same experiment by the CCDH identified one in four recommendations as harmful. Similar results were found when the research was repeated using teen profiles in the US and EU.
These findings emerge following criticism from telecoms regulator Ofcom, which stated that YouTube and TikTok were still not doing enough to safeguard young people online, advocating for stronger protections. A crucial component of the government's Online Safety Act came into effect in July 2025, establishing a legal obligation for platforms like YouTube to protect users under 18 from dangerous material, including content that encourages suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. The Act also mandates that companies assess and mitigate risks posed by their algorithms to young people. Non-compliance could lead to fines of up to 10% of global revenues, potentially amounting to billions of pounds for YouTube.
Jazmin Kaur, 22, from Leicester, shared her personal struggle, having been diagnosed with anorexia at 13 and undergoing six years of NHS treatment. She explained, "It all started quite innocently. I wanted to get fitter, I wanted to get healthier, so I started going online and took social media very much at face value without understanding the facts." While some online material was helpful, she noted that "most of the time it made it a lot worse." Jazmin recalled, "Every time I left hospital, I'd have my phone with me and I'd constantly be on it," adding, "I was fed such extreme content towards the end that I took it for my own vulnerabilities." She eventually deleted her social media accounts during university and is now pursuing a master's degree in paediatric nursing, while also working weekends in an adult mental health unit.
The CCDH report highlighted specific examples of content still being recommended by YouTube, including a "thinspo" account compiling images of girls idealising extreme thinness. Another video promoted a diet with a daily intake of just 170 calories, significantly below a healthy level for teenagers. Additionally, a video claiming to offer subliminal weight loss linked to a document promising "the most emaciated skeletal dainty body eva."
The study also examined YouTube's crisis panels—blue boxes displayed beneath sensitive videos that direct users to reputable support services. In 2026, none of the harmful eating disorder videos recommended by YouTube's algorithm activated these crisis panels, although the warnings did appear on other diet and body image videos that the CCDH did not classify as potentially dangerous.
In response to the report, Google, YouTube's parent company, affirmed its "steadfast" commitment to preventing the spread of harmful content and confirmed that the specific videos identified in the CCDH report had been removed. A YouTube spokeswoman stated, "The wellbeing of our viewers is our top priority, and we work with experts including the NHS, Mind and the Mix to refine our approach to mental health." The platform has also introduced specially curated videos from experts, which appear when a teenage account searches for topics like depression or eating disorders.
Alexandra Johnson, senior research manager at CCDH, acknowledged that the report offered "some hope to be gained" by demonstrating the impact of regulation. However, she stressed, "But one video is too many and we don't want any of this content to get through, particularly to vulnerable users, where just a small algorithmic nudge can be enough to push them into a very dangerous situation."
The CCDH focused its research on YouTube due to its widespread popularity among children and young people, with Ofcom figures indicating that 88% of 3-17 year olds use the platform. Experts describe the relationship between social media and eating disorders as intricate. Vanessa Longley, chief executive of the eating disorder charity Beat, noted that supportive online communities and positive content can help alleviate feelings of isolation, particularly when access to NHS treatment is challenging.
Nevertheless, she reported that approximately 90% of individuals the charity assists encounter harmful content online. Beat advises users to disable notifications, employ apps to limit screen time, or select the "not interested" option for unwanted content. Longley, however, maintains that the ultimate responsibility for ensuring platform safety rests with social media companies.
Looking ahead, the government announced plans in June to prevent under-16s from accessing major platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and X. These measures are anticipated to be implemented in spring 2027.
