Latest news | 16 Jan 2025

‘Dangerous Step Backward for Mental Health’ Butterfly Foundation Calls for Meta to Override Content Moderation Changes

Butterfly Foundation, Australia’s national charity for eating disorders and body image issues, today expressed grave concern over Meta’s announcement to dramatically reduce content moderation across its platforms, warning the changes could have devastating consequences for vulnerable users, particularly young people struggling with body image issues and eating disorders. 

Jim Hungerford, CEO of the Butterfly Foundation, said Australia’s national charity for eating disorders and body image issues was deeply troubled by Meta’s decision to scale back protections that have been vital in creating safer online spaces. 

“Having worked with Meta for several years, and as an advocate for online safety, including being part of their Youth Safety Advisory Group, we are profoundly disappointed by this dramatic shift in policy. There is a great deal of research demonstrating that exposure to appearance-focused content on social media platforms directly impacts young people’s body image and wellbeing. Meta’s decision to remove critical content moderation tools flies in the face of this evidence,” said Hungerford. 

Social media is a significant risk factor in developing body image issues, which can lead to eating disorders. In the most recent study, young women who actively curated their social media feeds to remove appearance-focused content showed significant improvements in appearance satisfaction (Seekis et al., 2025)1. This evidence underscores the crucial role of content moderation in protecting mental health.   

Jennifer Hamer, who has lived experience of an eating disorder, said that the removal of proactive tools to identify harmful content before it spreads is a step backward, particularly for vulnerable individuals. “Eating disorder recovery is a journey that often requires safe, supportive environments—both offline and online,” she said. “When those spaces are undermined by the unchecked spread of dangerous content, it’s not just an issue of misinformation; it’s a matter of public health.”  

“I believe that online platforms have a responsibility to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our communities are protected. This includes not just limiting harmful content, but actively promoting resources that support those in need of help. Have measures in place that prevent individuals from sharing harmful content. As someone who has navigated recovery, I know how critical it is to have access to supportive content and safe spaces, and how detrimental it can be when the opposite is allowed to flourish,” Jennifer added. 

Isabella Charon partly attributes developing her eating disorder to social media, and has condemned the plan to move to community moderators: “As someone who has been directly affected by the misinformation on social media, I think this is a dangerous path to take. With the increasing accessibility young people have to social media, it is now more than ever that these protocols should be enforced. Winding down these safe practices will only allow online harmful behaviour to fester.”  

Butterfly is particularly concerned about: 

  • The elimination of fact-checking programs that help combat dangerous misinformation about body image, nutrition, and health 
  • The removal of hate speech protections, particularly in relation to vulnerable populations  
  • Reduced proactive detection of harmful content, forcing the burden of reporting on to potentially vulnerable people
  • Scaled-back protections for women and marginalised communities, including changes to gender-related content moderation 
  • The potential proliferation of content promoting dangerous behaviours and attitudes around body image 

“In a time where mental health and mental ill-health is met with such stigma and misinformation, the idea that there may be a rise in the levels of untrue claims is truly terrifying, especially with the rise of AI and the tendency for shocking claims to attract attention,” added Rachel Burns, who has her own lived experience of an eating disorder.  

Jane Murphy is another advocate who has herself experienced an eating disorder: “These decisions by Meta are extremely disappointing and show a profound lack of care towards their users, especially those who are members of vulnerable or marginalised communities. I believe social media has an incredible power for good, connecting people across the world, and creating communities for people who might not otherwise have access to them. I am sure that those connections and communities once saved my life as a young person experiencing severe adversity, and I am by no means alone. However, there is also a tremendous power to spread misinformation, disinformation, hate, and pain. These decisions promote the latter.” 

“Every day, we witness firsthand how exposure to harmful online content can trigger and exacerbate eating disorders and body image issues. Meta’s decision to prioritise unrestricted speech over user safety threatens to undo years of progress in creating healthier online spaces,” added Jim Hungerford. “Research shows that even passive exposure to appearance-focused content can negatively impact wellbeing. Removing these essential safeguards places an unfair burden on vulnerable users to protect themselves from harmful content.” 

Butterfly Foundation calls on Meta to maintain robust content moderation practices that protect vulnerable users and not shift this burden of responsibility onto the community. We urge the platform to engage in meaningful dialogue with mental health organisations and experts to understand the real-world implications of these policy changes and reverse these changes. 

-ENDS-  

Media Contact 

Harriet Potter, Communications Manager 

Harriet.potter@butterfly.org.au 

0451 837 044 

 

Editor and producers note: Please include the following support line details in all media coverage of this story and refer to the Mindframe Media guidelines for safe reporting on eating disorders. Please include the following helpline message. 

Help and Support 

Anyone needing support with eating disorders or body image issues is encouraged to contact: 

  • Eating Disorders Victoria Helpline on 1300 550 23 
  • For urgent support call Lifeline 13 11 14 

The Butterfly National Helpline is a free, safe, and confidential service providing counselling, support groups, information, and referrals to health professionals around Australia screened for an understanding of eating disorders. All Butterfly National Helpline counsellors are qualified mental health professionals with specialist training in eating disorders and body image.  

About Butterfly 

Butterfly is Australia’s leading not for profit supporting everyone in Australia affected by eating and body image issues. You can find out about Butterfly and our prevention services for schools and communities at www.butterfly.org.au or contact our education team – education@butterfly.org.au