Should public figures disclose when their photos are edited? Aussies weigh in

Image editing has been around for decades, and is especially prevalent now with social media, yet the topic has completely dominated global headlines this week.

The kerfuffle is all thanks to a family photo posted on the Prince and Princess of Wales' social accounts for UK Mother's Day.

Within minutes of being posted, the photo – depicting Kate with her three children – was under the microscope, with viewers highlighting odd details and inconsistencies suggesting it had been edited.

Eventually, after days of scrutiny and even a 'kill order' from major news agencies that had distributed the image, we had a response.

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"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," a statement attributed to Catherine read.

"I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."

The royals are far from the first to tinker with the images they share publicly.

Celebrities and public figures regularly share photos that have been edited to some extent, with many (hi, Kardashians!) called out for "Photoshop fails" when they appear to take things too far.

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Even the royals have faced the same accusation numerous times.

So, does the rather extreme response to the edited photo of Kate herald a new age of demand for accountability when it comes to the images we're presented with?

Or, is this just a case where heightened interest in the subject – namely, the royal's weeks-long absence from the public eye – has led to more scrutiny than usual?

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We polled our readers on whether they think public figures should disclose when the photos they share have been edited, and the verdict was clear.

Of 603 respondents, 66 per cent were in favour of the idea, while 34 per cent felt it wasn't necessary.

"I assume all celebrity photos have been edited," one person, presumably in the latter camp, commented.

Other commenters felt the reaction to the photo of Catherine had been too strong for the circumstances.

"Cant believe the fuss and condemnation of Kate's photo," one wrote.

Another person argued, "That one is OK, only a minor change."

Evidently, that's not how Instagram sees things. The social media platform has now slapped a warning message on the Prince and Princess of Wales' photo.

"Altered photo/video. The same altered photo was reviewed by independent fact-checkers in another post," it reads.

A read on button directs users to a pop up page that reads: "Independent fact-checkers say the photo or image has been edited in a way that could mislead people, but not because it was shown out of context."

After this controversy, we're willing to bet the royals will tread a little more carefully next time they hit 'share' on a photo.