A fake advert for weight loss drugs created by Boots posing as a health and beauty retailer has been removed from TikTok after the firm complained.
Advertisements for prescription-only weight-loss drugs featured smiling medical workers from a British retailer, but were actually made with the help of artificial intelligence.
It is illegal to advertise prescription-only weight loss medications to the public.
A Boots spokesman told the BBC the firm was “aware” of the video and lodged a complaint with TikTok, which said it had removed the video.
A TikTok spokesperson said it does not allow “harmful or misleading advertising generated by artificial intelligence” on its platform.
But the BBC discovered that while the videos had been deleted, the account, which appeared to be based in Hong Kong, was not.
He managed to re-upload the same videos despite the originals being deleted.
TikTok was again notified about this and the user was subsequently removed.
Weight-loss drugs have been available on the NHS in England since the end of June, but they cannot be bought without a prescription and patients must meet strict criteria to be eligible for a prescription.
Before the fake Boots account was deleted, its videos linked to a website where you could buy weight-loss drugs.
It featured testimonials from clients and doctors that were either made using artificial intelligence or taken from other websites.
TikTok videos show healthcare workers drinking blue liquid from the vial.
It would then appear that this was a jump of several months, as the workers apparently lost weight dramatically.
“AI now makes it easy to create a convincing series of videos or images showing obvious changes in a very real healthcare worker, or to completely impersonate a specific healthcare worker,” AI expert Sam Gregory told the BBC.
“The key question is how quickly and comprehensively platforms act when they detect or are notified of fraud that clearly violates their terms of service.
“Major brands such as Boots will have priority over the individual business owner who is being targeted.”
Other videos uploaded by the same account to TikTok used content originally posted by real people showcasing their weight loss journey, but was repurposed and used without permission.
All videos used the same branding and titles as the official Boots TikTok account – using the handle “@BootsOfficial”.
Boots said it only advertises on social media through its @BootsUK account.
The website also contains warnings from the MHRA, the UK government body that ensures the safety of medicines and medical equipment, about buying counterfeit products.
A spokesman for the organization told the BBC that weight-loss drugs “should only be purchased from a registered pharmacy with a prescription issued by a healthcare professional.”
“Taking these medications obtained any other way carries serious risks to your health with no guarantees as to what they contain,” they said.
TikTok said it will continue to “strengthen” its methods for detecting AI-generated content and does not allow “image, advertising or trafficking of controlled substances.”
