Influencers Could Soon Be Made To Disclose Filtered, Retouched Photos In France

In a recent press conference, French finance minister Bruno Le Maire announced the country would become the first in Europe to regulate social media stars, hoping to combat how influencers’ filtered or retouched images may give viewers a distorted sense of reality.

While being an influencer in itself is not an issue, as part of the job typically involves celebrating the nation’s culture and history, the authorities felt a framework needed to be put in place to ensure these freelancers are protected and aren’t profiting off the public’s insecurities.

One such way to achieve this was outlined in a proposal, in which the French government could soon make it compulsory for influencers to disclose if they use a filter or retouch a picture or video posted on their social media platforms.

According to Le Maire, this admission will help “to limit the destructive psychological effects of these practices on Internauts’ esteem.” The plan is scheduled to be studied as part of an overarching bill in France’s National Assembly soon.

In addition, officials will ban all advertisements for cosmetic surgery by social media accounts that are part of a paid sponsorship. It appears the government is serious about cracking down on such content, saying that it will take “a zero-tolerance approach” regarding the matter.

As WWD pointed out, this isn’t the first time France has taken a stance against edited photographs. In 2017, in an attempt to aid those with eating disorders, the nation made it law for brands to label if a model’s body had been retouched for a campaign.

[via WWD and Hypebeast, cover image via Tero Vesalainen | Dreamstime.com]