YouTube continues to recommend eating disorder-related videos to teenage users despite rules introduced a year ago to limit harmful online content, according to new research.

The Centre for Countering Digital Hate created a simulated account representing a 13-year-old girl who had just begun viewing unsafe diet and body image content to examine the platform’s recommendation system.

The study found that one in every 10 videos suggested by YouTube’s “Up Next” algorithm contained thinspiration, extreme calorie restriction or other potentially harmful material, although the researchers noted that recommendations had improved compared with the past two years.

Google, YouTube’s parent company, said it remains firmly committed to preventing the spread of harmful content and confirmed that the videos identified in the report had been removed.

The findings come as UK telecoms regulator Ofcom recently warned that YouTube and TikTok still need to do more to protect young users, urging both platforms to strengthen their safety measures.

A major provision of the UK government’s Online Safety Act came into effect in July 2025, requiring platforms such as YouTube to take legal responsibility for protecting users under 18 from harmful content, including videos that promote or encourage suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.

The law also requires online platforms to assess how their recommendation algorithms could expose young people to harmful material and implement measures to reduce those risks.

Companies that fail to comply with the rules face penalties of up to 10 per cent of their global annual revenue, meaning YouTube could be liable for fines worth billions of pounds.