The pipeline
While some influencers advocating steroid use remain focused solely on bodybuilding, many others act as a direct pipeline to extremist content. They collaborate with the most prolific figures within the online far-right, pushing antisemitic conspiracy theories and misinformation around race, gender and sexual orientation, alongside a broader advocacy of withdrawal from what they call “the system”.
The algorithms of social media platforms amplify this. One moment a boy may be viewing an influencer advocating steroid use; a few swipes down his feed may show him Hitler speeches AI-translated into English.
The audience
80%
of 16–17 year old British boys had consumed Andrew Tate content
Hope not Hate, 2023
12–14
The age at which boys are being exposed to influencers openly advocating steroid use
The route from exposure to purchase is short. A boy watching a “body transformation” video can within minutes find a supplier, either in the comments section, through promotion by the influencer themselves, or by typing “buy test” or “buy tren” into the search bar of any major social media platform.
The regulatory gap
Ofcom has produced guidance for tech companies on tackling online harms affecting women and girls. No equivalent guidance exists for men and boys.
The promotion of unregulated injectable drugs by influencers with millions of followers, combined with their role as a pipeline to extremism, is one of the most tangible online harms facing males in the UK today. This is precisely the online harm that the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys has rightly argued Ofcom should address.
How radicalisation works
Entry point
A young man begins watching fitness or bodybuilding content on social media. Algorithms surface increasingly extreme content.
Normalisation
Steroid use is presented as essential for male self-improvement. Influencers frame it as a rational choice, not a health risk.
Community
The user joins Discord or Telegram groups for cycle advice and sourcing. These spaces also contain extremist content and recruitment.
Radicalisation
The same influencers promoting steroids collaborate with far-right figures. Conspiracy theories, misogyny and racial ideology are presented alongside fitness content.
Withdrawal
Users are encouraged to withdraw from mainstream society, education and relationships. Steroid use, extremist ideology and isolation reinforce each other.