#NoFilter: Norway paves the way with ban on retouched images
By Meg Pirie – Stylist and Slow-fashion Activist
Norway made headlines this week after making it illegal for influencers and advertisers alike to share promotional photos online without disclosing whether the images have been retouched in any way. This comes as an amendment to the 2009 Marketing and Control Act and passed in Stortinget, Norway’s parliamentary body, with a majority vote of 72-15.
The new law will impact people and advertisers who receive a payment in exchange for their posts. Influencers will be particularly affected, as they often work on a sponsored and gifted-post basis. This will mean that if Photoshop or a social media filter is used to modify someone’s appearance, this will have to be flagged moving forward.
This feels like a particularly timely move, as eating disorders have risen sharply since lockdown began. Worryingly, in the UK, experts have reported an 86% increase in the number of children and/or young adults in need of urgent treatment for eating disorders, since 2019. More time on social media is being heralded as one of the primary causes, as users face images which are both unrealistic and unachievable.
With countries like France and Israel already under similar laws for commercial images, there is a call amongst MPs that the UK should follow suit. Conservative MP Dr Luke Evans, brought this in front of parliament in September last year. It is thought that 1.25 million people in the UK suffer with an eating disorder and a ban like this in the UK would be a welcome move.
The issue many users face is that sites like TikTok (which are favoured by teenagers) and Instagram use an algorithm, personalised specifically to your interests and likes. This means that if users are engaging with an unrealistic beauty ideal, this content will just keep coming, which can be particularly triggering.
The one positive trend to come from quixotic body images like these, is the push-back from ‘body-positive’ influencers, like journalist Danae Mercer, who shines a light on how influencers use lighting and pose to achieve society-constructed bodies, alongside her actual body. This push-back is fundamental in challenging society’s dangerous beauty standards. Finally, we need to see far more diversity moving forward, if we are to eliminate a fabricated beauty that is no longer reflective of the diverse and inclusive world we want for our children.
Source: Danae Mercer