In an effort to battle unrealistic beauty standards, Norway will be amending their 2009 Marketing and Control Act to include a regulation that requires influencers to label promotional photos that have been edited or retouched.
Based on a report by The Hill, any influencer or advertiser making profits off or benefiting from their post will have to disclose if the images showcased have been retouched in any way.
Photo for illustration purposes only.
This applies to photos that have been altered to affect a person’s physical appearance, which includes their body size, shape, skin and even the use of simple filters.
The law was sanctioned by Norway’s parliamentary body with a clear majority vote of 72-15 and will be enacted as soon as the King gives his approval.
According to India Times, not only are they aiming to combat unrealistic beauty standards but also to do away with content that ‘plays on social insecurities, bad consciences, low self-esteem and contributes to body pressure’.
Photo for illustration purposes only.
“The measure will hopefully make a useful and significant contribution to curbing the negative impact that such advertising has, especially on children and young people,”
“Young people are exposed to a massive pressure to look good through, among other things, advertising and social media, and the models displayed are often digitally retouched. This exposes young people to an ideal of beauty that is impossible to achieve,” shared Norway’s Ministry of Children and Family Affairs.
Any company or individual who does not cooperate with the new law will face fines and in certain cases, they may even face jail time.
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