Business
TikTok removes AI weight loss ads from fake Boots account
Fake adverts for weight loss drugs by a company pretending to be health and beauty retailer Boots have been removed from TikTok after the firm complained.
The adverts for prescription-only weight loss drugs appeared to show smiling healthcare professionals from the British retailer – but in reality they were made with AI.
It is illegal to advertise prescription-only weight loss drugs to the public.
A spokesperson for Boots told the BBC the firm was “aware” of the videos and had complained to TikTok, which said it had removed the videos.
A TikTok spokesperson said it did not allow “harmful or misleading AI-generated ads” on its platform.
But the BBC found while the videos were removed, the account – seemingly located in Hong Kong – was not.
It was able to re-upload the exact same videos despite the originals being removed.
TikTok was again notified of this, and the user was subsequently deleted.
Weight-loss jabs have been available on the NHS in England since the end of June, but they are not available over-the-counter and patients must meet strict criteria in order to be eligible for a prescription.
Before the fake Boots account was removed, its videos linked to a website where weight loss drugs could be bought.
It featured testimonies from customers and doctors which were either made with AI or taken from other websites.
The TikTok videos showed what appeared to be health workers drinking from a vial of blue liquid.
This would then appear to jump forward several months, with the workers apparently having lost a drastic amount of weight.
“AI now makes it trivially easy to generate a convincing series of videos or images showing an apparent change in a plausibly real generic health professional, or to impersonate specific health professionals wholesale,” AI expert Sam Gregory told the BBC.
“The underlying question is how quickly and comprehensively platforms act when they detect – or are notified of – scams that clearly breach their terms of service.
“Major brands like Boots will get prioritised over an individual business owner who’s been targeted.”
Other videos uploaded by the same account on TikTok seemed to have used content originally posted by real people, showcasing their weight-loss journey, but repurposed and used without permission.
All of the videos used similar branding and names to that of the official Boots account on TikTok – using the handle “@BootsOfficial”.
Boots said it only runs adverts on social media through its actual account @BootsUK.
The website also included warnings from the MHRA, the UK’s governmental body that ensures medicines and medical devices are safe, about purchasing counterfeit products.
A spokesperson for the body told the BBC weight loss medicines “should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy against a prescription issued by a healthcare professional”.
“Taking these medicines sourced in any other way carries serious risks to your health with no guarantees about what they contain,” they said.
TikTok said it would continue to “strengthen” its detection methods for AI-generated content and it does not allow “the depiction, promotion, or trade of controlled substances”.
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Kodak, once a global photography giant, missed the digital revolution despite Steve Sasson’s invention, leading to bankruptcy in 2012 and a dramatic fall from dominance
In early 2000s, film sales collapsed, photo labs shut down and the iconic yellow Kodak box began disappearing from shelves. (News18 Hindi)
If you grew up in the 1980s or 1990s, photography likely meant one thing – Kodak. From carefully loading film into cameras to waiting days for prints to arrive, the brand dominated how the world captured memories. Not just in India, but globally, Kodak was synonymous with photography.
Kodak was founded in 1888 by George Eastman, whose vision was to make photography accessible to everyone. His idea worked. With the slogan “You press the button, we do the rest”, Kodak turned a complex process into a household habit. The company’s business model was equally smart; cameras were sold cheaply, while profits flowed from film, chemicals and photo paper; the classic “razor and blade” strategy.
By the 1990s, Kodak controlled nearly 90% of the US film market, and the phrase “Kodak moment” had entered popular culture. The company had billions in cash, global dominance and a workforce running into thousands.
Then came the moment that could have changed everything. In 1975, a Kodak engineer named Steve Sasson invented the world’s first digital camera inside the company’s own lab. The prototype was bulky, wired and shot black-and-white images stored on a cassette tape, which could be viewed by connecting the device to a television. Primitive as it was, the invention was revolutionary. Sasson presented it to Kodak’s top management, expecting excitement. Instead, he was told to keep it quiet.
The reason was that digital photography did not need film. Executives feared that if the technology became mainstream, Kodak’s core business would collapse. They also believed consumers would always prefer physical photographs over images on a screen. The invention was shelved, and Kodak doubled down on film. In hindsight, rejecting digital photography was the company’s biggest mistake.
For nearly two decades, Kodak remained convinced that digital images would never match the quality or emotional value of film. While the company hesitated, rivals such as Sony, Canon and Nikon invested steadily in digital technology. By the late 1990s, digital cameras had entered the market, but Kodak was still reluctant to abandon its legacy business. Even when it launched digital products, it tried to replicate the look and feel of film, unable to accept that the era had changed.
The rise of the internet dealt the final blow. As personal computers and email became common in the early 2000s, people stopped printing photographs altogether. Images were stored, shared and viewed digitally. Film sales collapsed, photo labs shut down and the iconic yellow Kodak box began disappearing from shelves. Kodak attempted a late pivot, spending millions to enter the digital space, but by then the market was firmly controlled by competitors.
In 2012, Kodak filed for bankruptcy, stunning the global business community. Once valued in billions and employing over 1,40,000 people worldwide, the company was reduced to selling patents to survive. Thousands lost their jobs, and Kodak’s factories in New York fell silent. The empire had effectively ended.
Ironically, Kodak’s downfall unfolded even as small digital-first companies were thriving. Platforms like Instagram, with a fraction of Kodak’s resources, built massive valuations by understanding how people wanted to save and share memories in a digital age. Kodak, despite having the technology, the brand and the capital, failed to recognise that shift.
Today, Kodak still exists, but only as a shadow of its former self. It operates in areas such as printing, specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and occasionally produces film for hobbyists. Steve Sasson, often mistakenly believed to have been fired, continued working at Kodak for 35 years and retired in 2009. He even helped develop the first DSLR camera in 1989, which Kodak again chose not to commercialise. Sasson was later honoured by the US President for his contribution to digital photography.
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January 19, 2026, 20:50 IST
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New Delhi: Indian Railways successfully managed rail traffic during the Mauni Amavasya period, operating 244 special trains across the country since January 3, ensuring smooth and convenient travel for devotees, according to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Railways on Monday.
These trains, of which 31 were of Northern Railway (NR), 158 trains of North Central Railway (NCR), and 55 trains of North Eastern Railway (NER), served around 4.5 lakh passengers. The special services were planned to facilitate hassle-free journeys and safe travel during the festive period.
On January 18, Prayagraj witnessed the peak of festive travel with 40 special trains in operation, including 11 trains of NR, 22 trains of NCR, and seven trains of NER, carrying approximately 1 lakh passengers. Notably, all regular trains ran as scheduled, demonstrating effective planning and operational efficiency by Indian Railways, the statement explained.
“The successful operation of these special trains reflects Indian Railways’ commitment to providing safe, convenient, and uninterrupted services to passengers during peak festive periods. The railways continue to leverage technology, resource planning, and coordination across zones to manage large-scale passenger movements efficiently,” the statement said.
Earlier, Indian Railways operated more than 43,000 special train trips in 2025 to ensure smooth travel and clear the rush during major religious festivals and peak holiday seasons.
During the year, Indian Railways undertook one of its largest special train operations for Maha Kumbh, operating 17,340 special train trips between January 13 and February 28, 2025, to facilitate the movement of a very large number of pilgrims. For Holi, 1,144 special train trips were operated between March 1 and March 22, 2025, nearly double the number run during Holi 2024, ensuring better availability and smoother festive travel.
The summer travel season of 2025, spanning April 1 to June 30, saw the operation of 12,417 Summer Special train trips, maintaining a high level of service during peak vacation months.
Special arrangements for Chhath Puja 2025 were further strengthened, with 12,383 special train trips operated between October 1 and November 30, 2025, marking a substantial increase over the previous year, according to official figures.
Stellantis North America COO and Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa speaks during the Stellantis press conference at the Automobility LA 2024 car show at Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California, November 21, 2024.
Etienne Laurent | AFP | Getty Images
DETROIT — Five years after the transatlantic automaker Stellantis was formed through a merger, the business hasn’t necessarily panned out as investors hoped.
U.S. shares of the company — created through a $52 billion combination of Italian American automaker Fiat Chrysler and France-based Groupe PSA on Jan. 16, 2021 — are down roughly 43% in the past five years. Italian-listed shares also are off roughly 40%.
Since the combined company’s stock debuted on the New York Stock Exchange on Jan. 19, 2021, days after the merger was completed, shares of the automaker were largely in the black — up as high as 74% in March 2024 — until Stellantis reported troubling financial results that year amid cost-cutting efforts meant to support higher profits and its multibillion-dollar push into electric vehicles.
Many of those plans are being altered or eliminated under new Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa, who succeeded Carlos Tavares last summer. Tavares, a longtime automotive executive, was largely credited with forming the company, but abruptly left Stellantis in December 2024.
Stellantis shares listed in the U.S. and Italy.
Filosa is executing a sales turnaround plan for the automaker and is particularly focused on its Jeep and Ram brands regaining U.S. market share following yearslong sales declines.
“The strategy that we have in front of us is a strong one and will lead us to growth if we execute well,” he told reporters Wednesday during the Detroit Auto Show. “So, I believe it’s a year of execution.”
Filosa did not rule out the possibility of regionally refocusing or shrinking the company’s vast portfolio of brands that also includes Italian nameplates Fiat and Alfa Romeo, which have not performed well domestically.
He said he believes the company should “stay together” following some speculation, including from Tavares, that it would be better to sell off assets or brands.
Filosa said the next step in the company’s plans will come during a meeting this month with more than 200 company executives that will focus on an upcoming capital markets day as well as company culture and 2026 execution.
PSA CEO Carlos Tavares and FCA CEO Mike Manley shake hands after signing a combination agreement that will lead to the creation of the world’s fourth-largest global automaker in terms of annual sales (8.7 million vehicles).
FCA
Investors have been eager to hear a new strategy for Stellantis after Tavares’ exit. He left amid troubling sales and financial results as the company strived to achieve 10% or greater profit margins and doubling net revenues under his “Dare Forward 2030” business plan.
U.S. shares of Stellantis since Filosa began as CEO on June 23 are up 2%. They closed Friday at $9.60 per share, down 4.2%.
Filosa this week declined to discuss the company’s past mistakes, but company executives previously told CNBC that Tavares’ fixation on cost reductions and profits hurt business, as well as the company’s products, employees and relationships with suppliers, unions and dealers.
Filosa has spent much of his time attempting to repair those bonds, especially with the company’s distraught U.S. franchised retailers. He’s also approved drastic changes to the company’s product plans, including reducing prices and reprioritizing products away from electrified vehicles.
“In the six months, I see the changes that we will make we need to make to create the bright future that we need,” he said regarding his tenure thus far as CEO.
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