Last year, Pinterest became the first platform to ban weight loss ads, and it has since seen a 20% drop in searches containing the term, “weight loss.”
When platforms take a stand, it’s always exciting to see what impact that stand has and when Pinterest took the very excellent position of banning weight-loss ads, it was a pretty bold move!
There’s no denying that the weight loss industry is worth billions of dollars, and walking away from any potential ad spend is a big move from a platform. It screams; it values its users more than revenue.
Now, Pinterest has revealed that since the ban,
- Searches for “motivation for healthy eating” increased 13-fold;
- Searches for “body positivity” increased 2-fold;
- Searches for “curvy body reference” increased 5-fold;
- Searches for “body acceptance quotes” increased by 3 times.
Sarah Bromma, head of policy at Pinterest, said: ”When we implemented our weight loss ad ban a year ago, our hope was to continue building our platform as a safe and welcoming environment where all Pinners feel free to be who they are regardless of body shape or size.
“Now, a year later, we are seeing a positive response from users, demonstrating the true impact such a policy can have on online behaviours and perceptions. We will continue to support and protect our users from harmful information or content that does not align with our mission and values.”
