Overview
- A University of Alberta analysis of 971 top-viewed TikTok videos published June 18 found that most posts promoted sunscreen but a small fraction with health critiques drew much higher likes, shares, and comments.
- The study showed about 86.8–87 percent of videos encouraged sunscreen use while only roughly 6 percent contained health-related critiques and only about 6 percent mentioned reducing skin cancer risk.
- Videos that questioned sunscreen safety — claiming hormone disruption, toxicity, or blocking vitamin D — produced statistically higher engagement than promotion-only videos, a pattern the authors link to the platform’s reward of provocative content.
- TikTok told reporters it prohibits harmful medical misinformation and removes violating content, and regulators have recently broadened product options with the FDA’s June 9 approval of bemotrizinol as an over-the-counter sunscreen ingredient.
- Researchers note limits to their study such as sampling by hashtags and English-language focus, and public-health experts urge clearer cancer-prevention messaging, stronger platform moderation, and more engaging evidence-based content to protect younger users.