French Health Minister Yannick Neuder and Digital Minister Clara Chappaz have formally requested national regulator Arcom to address the proliferation of TikTok content promoting potentially harmful tanning practices. The ministers expressed concern over videos depicting young users giving tips on achieving halterneck tan lines, primarily through direct sun exposure.

“These types of content, which are increasingly widespread, encourage dangerous behaviors that could seriously harm users’ health,” the ministers wrote in their letter to the watchdog on August 1.

As POLITICO reports, the officials are leveraging the Digital Services Act (DSA) to compel action, calling on Arcom to coordinate with the European Commission to ensure social media platforms fulfill their obligations under the new content moderation rules. These requirements include protecting minors, evaluating systemic risks, and maintaining transparency about algorithmic operations.

Paris has urged the regulator to “compile a file to send to the appropriate coordinator and, if necessary, to collaborate with the European Commission services as part of a possible investigation.”

The trend, which has garnered over 200 million views under the hashtag #sunburnttanlines, shows users deliberately seeking sun exposure during high ultraviolet radiation periods. Some videos feature users looking directly at the sun with accompanying audio encouraging viewers to “burn it.”

Health experts warn that there is no safe way to tan, as even 15 minutes of unprotected exposure when the UV index exceeds level 3 can damage skin and increase cancer risk.

Previous Regulatory Actions

This intervention follows a similar action in April when Digital Minister Chappaz successfully pressured TikTok to address the “SkinnyTok” trend that promoted extreme thinness and potentially harmful eating habits. Following regulatory scrutiny, TikTok banned the SkinnyTok hashtag.

The platform is already under investigation for potential DSA violations by the European Commission and faces updated Terms of Service that took effect on July 25, which introduced stricter content moderation policies across European markets.

Despite regulatory challenges, TikTok continues to expand its European presence, particularly in the UK, where it serves more than 30 million monthly users and plans to increase its workforce to 3,000 employees this year. The company is also investing €12 billion in Project Clover to store European user data within what it calls its “European Enclave.”

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