WATCH: A skin lightening ad on the TTC is being called “shadist.” Minna Rhee reports.
TORONTO – A Toronto company has decided to voluntarily remove its controversial skin lightening treatment advertisements on the Yonge-University subway line following a series of complaints to the TTC.
“It has come to our attention that the TTC ads for lightnaturalskin.com have caused offense and concern. The ads were not intended, in any way, to offend,” the company stated on its website.
“We apologize for any concern, offense or distress the ads may have caused and have requested that the TTC remove them immediately.”
The TTC says the ads lodged a total of 11 complaints since last week with some commuters expressing their concerns on social media.
The TTC says its advertising policy states that ads are reviewed only after receiving just five complaints.
According to a report in the Toronto Star, the company pulled the ads before the complaints even reached that number.
The skin lightening company says the ads were directed at patients with medical conditions such as “hyper-pigmentation from allergies, hypothyroidism, post-pregnancy, drugs reactions, sun damage and other conditions.”
The company says on its website that the skin brightening procedure involves injecting an “IV” consisting of “vitamins, minerals and amino acids, including glutathione” and is an alternative to skin bleaching.
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