So-called 'skinny influencer' Liv Schmidt has put Meta in her crosshairs and is waging war after the tech giant demonetized her Instagram account. Known for her 'Skinni Societe' group, a series of concerning reports were shared in a piece from The Cut, and in the aftermath, Schmidt found her Meta account being restricted.
The 23-year-old Schmidt charges $20 a month for access to her group chats and private content, supposedly sharing weight loss tips. In reality, the investigative piece refers to it as a 'cult' where some alarming practices are apparently encouraged. In a time when the likes of Ozempic are all the rage and YouTubers are promoting their massive weight loss, the idea of being 'skinny' is more popular than ever.
By handing over your $20 a month to Schmidt, you're supposed to get access to exclusive content on her Instagram, which includes workout videos, recipes, and a diary of what she eats every day. You'll also be added to a DM thread where you're encouraged to share your progress. An anonymous woman known as 'Emma' says she noticed a lot of those in the group were quite young, going on to share her experience with the Skinni Societe.
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Alongside Emma's story, The Cut says members will often post overly high step counts and talk about side effects like hair loss and dizziness as a result of their minuscule calorie diets. Journalist E.J. Dickson says that while the group is supposed to be closed to those under the age of 18, she found several who'd slipped through the net.
While Schmidt has reiterated she doesn't promote eating disorders, it's noted that she'd regularly post messages like: "You’re not restricting. You’re 'regulating.' It’s chic."
Following the exposé, Meta communication representative Andy Stone wrote in a post on X: "This account is no longer able to offer subscriptions or use any of our monetization tools. And we restricted it so it’s only visible to people over 18."
Schmidt quickly took to Instagram and accused Meta of not giving her a chance to respond. Posting on her story, Schmidt wrote: "The most disturbing part? Meta didn't even come to me. Despite countless support tickets, messages, and outreach attempts, no one was willing to speak with me directly. I was met with silence.
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"And meanwhile, one person with a vendetta was able to spin a false narrative that cost me my business. Anyone at Meta can look at my page and see the truth. There are thousands of testimonials."
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Continuing to defend the group, Schmidt concluded: "It's an adult women's community—I even have it written in the rules: no one under 18. This person spreading lies didn't just try to hurt me—they successfully manipulated your system.
“And no one stepped in to ask a single question. I'm not going to beg to defend myself to a company that never once asked for my side of the story."
Schmidt's TikTok account was disabled in September 2024, although she's since seen her social media presence soar after she claimed she was being targeted by 'cancel culture'.
Considering it's estimated that Schmidt makes $130,000 a month from the 6,500 members in the Skinni Societe, its demonetization could put a serious dent in her financials.