The French government has introduced a bill that would require influencers to label their digitally-altered images. 

The French government has introduced a bill that would require influencers to label their digitally-altered images. The legislation is being spearheaded by France’s Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who tweeted that the law would help “limit the destructive psychological effects of [filters and retouching] on internet users’ self-esteem.” In addition to requiring influencers to call out their altered pics, the law would also ban content creators from promoting plastic surgery as part of paid partnerships. A similar bill was proposed in the U.K. in 2022, also in an effort to support young women’s self-esteem and mental health. YPulse research has found that social media is having a serious impact on how young women see themselves: more than half of young European females say that social media makes them feel bad about their appearance and as many agree, “I wish I could look the way social media photo filters make me look IRL.” (WWD)