FILE - The TikTok logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays the TikTok home screen, Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Boston. A report released Thursday, Sept. 28, by a tech watchdog group said TikTok has become a key marketing channel for vendors that want to promote steroids and other bodybuilding drugs to millions of people who use the app.
TikTok spokesperson Ben Rathe criticized the report, saying the group’s methodology doesn’t distinguish between harmful videos and positive content that talks about recovery from steroids or their side effects. It's not possible for the CCDH to know that based on the type of data they’re presenting and sheer volume of videos that are on TikTok, he said.
Similar to Instagram, TikTok has a large fitness community made up of users who talk about various things, including exercise and steroid use. Popular videos posted on the app speculate on who’s “natty or not,” or who’s naturally fit or taking steroids.