Influencers in France to come under strict mandates

The French government is considering a new law that would compel social media influencers to declare when they have filtered or retouched images shared online.

The law will focus in particular on any posts that promote cosmetic surgery.

It will seek to make the "promotion of paid cosmetic surgery... as part of a paid partnership... prohibited."

Social media posts promoting gambling and cryptocurrency would also be banned under the new law.

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The new regulations have been proposed by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire who has suggested prison time and fines for offenders found guilty.

They would also be banned from using social media to continue their influencer careers.

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Le Maire has suggested a "zero-tolerance approach" to those who don't follow the new rules.

The proposed law is set to be debated by France's National Assembly from today.

In a press release from Le Maire's office he outlines the guidelines aim to "limit the destructive psychological effects" of social media. If the new laws are implemented this would make France the first European nation to create such a comprehensive framework for the influencer sector.

Influencers who live outside of the country but earn money from products sold in France would also need to abide by the law.

"Influencers must be subject to the same rules as those that apply to traditional media," he said, adding that the internet shouldn't be "the Wild West".

In 2017 France passed a national law requiring commercial photos of models that had been retouched be labelled.

In Australia, influencers must disclose commercial partnerships under the Australian Influencer Codes of Practice announced by the Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AIMCO)

In 2022 the Therapeutic Goods Administration announced a new law banning influencers in Australia being paid to promote skin and healthcare products, making it illegal for influencers to receive cash or samples in exchange for reviews across a range of products.

Further guidelines requiring influencers to label edited photos online are also being considered.