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Celebrity Life

New Norway law requires influencers to disclose edited images posted on social media

By Bong Godinez
Published July 14, 2021 6:03 PM PHT
Updated July 14, 2021 7:32 PM PHT

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The newly passed law thumbs down body pressure and its relation to mental health struggles, especially among the youth.

Advertisers, content creators, and social media influencers in Norway are now required by law to disclose when they've edited or added filter to a photo posted online.

The move, which garnered a 72-15 vote from the country's parliament, aims to address the issue of body image as perceived by the youth based on what they see on social media.

Photo editing, according to the law, “plays on social insecurity, bad conscience, low self-esteem or contributes to body pressure.”

A UK survey stated that the majority of the youth under 18 agree that social media images play a huge role in how they view themselves.

Revealingly, only five percent of under 18s in the survey revealed they wouldn't contemplate altering their appearance through diet or surgery.

“Body pressure is pointed out as one of the most important reasons why many young people struggle mentally,” the bill further stated.

“Young people are exposed to a massive pressure to look good through, among other things, advertising and social media, and the models that are shown are often digitally retouched. This exposes young people to an ideal of beauty that is impossible to achieve.”

As expected, the law, while it has many supporters, also has its fair share of naysayers.

“To me, it seems more like a shortcut to fix a problem that won't really do any improvement,” Eirin Kristiansen, 26, an influencer based in Bergen, Norway, told Newsbeat and as reported by BBC.

“Mental health issues are caused by so much more than an edited photo, and another badge on advertiser's photos won't change how young girls and boys truly feel, in my opinion.”

Norway authorities, meanwhile, said that while stopping people from editing their images are not entirely possible, the law hopes to at least encourage “honesty” among advertisers and social media personalities.

Meanwhile, take a look at local celebrities who opened up about their mental health struggles: