Social Media Influencers May Soon Have to Label Retouched Photos Under New UK Bill
If the bill passes, it will be illegal for influencers to post retouched photos without acknowledging edits.
Following Norway’s regulation to make it illegal for social media influencers to post a retouched photo without placing a disclaimer, the UK may just be following suit.
The UK has now put forward a new bill in an attempt to combat body dysmorphia online. This comes after the NHS saw an increase by 41% of hospital admissions for anorexia, bulimia and eating disorders amongst young people 17 and under. The new regulation, the Digitally Altered Body Image bill, was proposed earlier this month and calls for greater transparency from brands and influencers who Photoshop or FaceTune their images. Dr. Evans spoke at the House of Commons and said, “If someone has been paid to post a picture on social media which they have edited, or advertisers, broadcasters or publishers are making money from an edited photograph, they should be honest and upfront about it.” This is not the first time that a bill of this nature has been proposed to the parliment.
There is still a concern of how this law will be enforced if it comes into play. Similar to Norway’s law, the UK bill will focus on paid posts, ensuring that digitally-altered pictures on social media are not associated with ads, brand partnerships or commercials.
Today in Parliament I am introducing my #BodyImageBill, which calls for images featuring digitally altered bodies to be labelled, to help foster more honest and realistic representations of the way we look. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/SAlBFNRr6E
— Dr Luke Evans MP (@drlukeevans) January 12, 2022
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