The lower chamber of the French parliament recently passed a bill to prevent influencers from promoting cosmetic surgery on social media while also requiring them to label any images that have been edited using filters or photoshop. The bill will now be presented to the Senate and is expected to be approved without much opposition.
The bill was originally introduced by Aurélien Taché, a member of the French Green Party, in November of last year, and gained traction after his statements that influencers were promoting scams due to a lack of consequences. Arthur Delaporte and Stéphane Vojetta, members of President Emmanuel Macron’s party, later presented a revised version of the bill that is expected to become law.
Social media and beauty influencers have created an environment in which individuals are pressured to conform to a certain appearance, leading to body dysmorphia and other health issues. The French government hopes to address this issue by requiring influencers to disclose the use of filters or editing on all media forms, including photos and videos. Violation of these strict regulations could result in two years of imprisonment and a fine of $32,515 (€30,000). Offenders will also be banned from using social media for their career.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire clarified that the bill is not an attempt to stigmatize the industry but rather to protect consumers and influencers by subjecting them to the same rules as traditional media. He emphasized that the internet is not a lawless space and should be held to the same standards as other forms of media.
The bill will also closely monitor the work of child influencers, requiring minors under 16 to obtain state approval before working on platforms. Additionally, 90% of their earnings from commercial activities will be frozen until they reach the age of 18 to prevent exploitation.
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