Controversial Instagram skinny and stay thin influencer Liv Schmidt’s Subscriber-Only Group Chat, ‘Skinni Societe’ demonitized. Why did Meta choose to cut her off and did they go too far or too little too late?
A social media influencer behind controversial weight loss community, Skinni Societe on Instagram has been de-monitized by parent company, Meta, just 3 days after a NY Mag expose on the ‘stay thin influencer.’
Liv Schmidt, 23, who charges $20 a month for access to her private content and group chats, came under scrutiny after The Cut published an in-depth investigation, ‘Inside Influencer Liv Schmidt’s Subscriber-Only Group Chat,’ calling attention to the limits what some young women are willing to endure in order to fit to an ‘aesthetic’ ideal.
The article revealed that members—many of them allegedly underage—were exchanging extreme low-calorie meal plans, competing over who could eat less, and posting about symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, and hair loss.
Soon after, 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.’
In response, Schmidt took to Instagram to accuse Meta of acting without giving her a chance to respond.
Wrote the Instagram influencer: ‘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.
‘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. 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.’
In The Cut’s report, former members described the group as obsessive and competitive.
Emma, a 37-year-old teacher and former subscriber, said: ‘They’re all so obsessive, so it’s hard to not become obsessive too. It’s, like, this little cult of being skinny.’
Another former member, Alison, said: ‘All she ever spoke about was food. She would talk about being hungry, how she’s looking forward to her next meal, how the amount of time she put into being skinny was suffocating. It’s actually pretty sad.’
Liv Schmidt has maintained that she does not promote eating disorders and claims her program offers ‘accountability.’
In her own community guidelines, she notes: ‘You will be eating less than normal if your goal is weight loss. That’s science.’
But critics, including registered dietitians consulted by The Cut, say the calorie levels Schmidt promotes are dangerously low.
‘What she’s eating is not enough to sustain her even without activity,’ said nutritionist Melainie Rogers after reviewing Schmidt’s posted meal diaries.
The ban follows Liv Schmidt being banned from TikTok in September, 2024, with the influencer at the time claimed she was the target of censorship.
Her followers rallied behind her, and in April, the women’s magazine Evie published a report, titled ‘Banned for Being Honest?’
Far from silencing her, the backlash only amplified her reach—Schmidt has since quadrupled her Instagram following.
According to Air Mail, Schmidt earns an estimated $130,000 per month from the 6,500 paying members of the Skinni Société.
Unlike typical influencers, Schmidt has turned her brand into a subscription-based community where followers pay to mimic her lifestyle—down to her meals, workouts, and daily mantras.
In March, she reposted a message from a subscriber who had written a school paper about her.
‘Her content has helped and continues to help so many young girls form a healthy relationship with food and exercise,’ the follower wrote. ‘She truly exemplifies the values of what a role model should be.’
And then there were these comments on social media below that caught this author’s attention. See what you think?
‘I think the TikTok ban set precedent for Meta to remove. Also, anything involve minors is extremely bad press for Meta at the moment (regulators are starting to take notice) and opens it up to legal liability.’
‘Hope they ban her for this, and she loses monetization possibilities from both TikTok and IG.’
‘Remember when people wanted to be nurses, teachers and veterinarians??’
