- TikTok removed adverts for prescription only weight loss drugs from an account pretending to be Boots after Boots complained, with the videos made using AI
- The BBC found the account was still live at first and could re upload the same videos, but it was later deleted after TikTok was notified again
- Boots and the MHRA warned that prescription only weight loss medicines should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a prescription, with serious health risks linked to counterfeit or unregulated products
TikTok has removed a set of adverts promoting prescription only weight loss drugs that were posted by an account pretending to be health and beauty retailer Boots, after Boots complained.
The videos used artificial intelligence to create convincing clips featuring people presented as healthcare professionals, alongside branding that mimicked Boots.
The content pushed viewers towards a website offering weight loss drugs for purchase, despite rules that prohibit advertising prescription only medicines to the public.
The episode has highlighted a recurring problem for social platforms, where removal of individual posts does not always stop a determined operator from reposting similar content.
Coverage of the incident reported that the account was able to upload the same videos again after the originals were taken down, before further action was taken.
TikTok says it restricts misleading adverts and does not allow harmful or deceptive AI generated ads, with its advertising rules banning exaggerated or misleading claims and its support guidance limiting AI content that impersonates authoritative sources.
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UK regulators have repeatedly warned consumers not to buy weight loss medicines from unregulated sources such as social media, stressing that prescription medicines should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a prescription issued by a qualified professional.
The MHRA has said products bought outside these channels can pose serious health risks, with no guarantee of what they contain.
Experts have also warned that generative AI is making it easier to produce believable scam adverts at speed, increasing the pressure on platforms to detect impersonation and remove repeat offenders quickly rather than only deleting individual posts.
