As of the ninth of June 2023, influencers in France have to be very careful. After thorough debates, the new Influencer Act was passed as a comprehensive law to monitor paid-for content and influencer-brand partnerships. Thus, influencers are now responsible for publicly announcing every social media promotion and paid collaboration. Otherwise, they risk not just getting fined by the French authorities but also potential imprisonment if they advertise banned products, such as cosmetic surgery or tobacco. How has the newly controlled environment impacted the
French creators' new obligations
According to late 2023, French influencers preferred
managing their communities on Instagram; female and male creators chose the social media platform for content usage. They sought after
simple product placement partnerships the most, as well as content production for brands’ accounts. While this comes across as business as usual, the Influencer Act currently lurks over their every step, creating worries among French social media celebrities.
For example, influencers and brand ambassadors alike are now obliged by law to mention not just commercial collaborations when posting on behalf of a brand but also to
declare the receipt of products and even gifts sent by brands for tax purposes. Moreover, with the advances of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the ad field, influencers must mention “virtual images” when deploying AI-generated faces and silhouettes and even declare when their posts have been retouched or filtered in any other digital way.
Consumer demands
While some have interpreted the new legislation as creativity-constricting, others have firmly stood for social media disclaimers. Almost half of French consumers and social media users, however, ultimately agreed on the
positive impact of the new law on the influencer world. That could mean that for audiences, transparency and honesty are of utmost importance when it comes to online promotions and digital ads. Another fact that supports this claim is that French users perceive the banning of scams as a leading priority regarding ethical influencer marketing. Further, as of late 2022, more than half of French users were
against the usage of retouched or idealized bodies in social media posts. Overall, consumers in France seem to demand frankness from those who intend to influence them.
Regulated influencer business
In a more traditional European fashion, brand collaborations in France are now more regulated and subject to more scrutiny than ever. While this has polarized opinions on the effect of law on creativity, professionals carry a higher responsibility towards their online communities. In the future, brands in the country must juggle partnerships more delicately between influencers’ needs and regulation bodies’ demands.
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