Since 2023, in France, promoting cosmetic surgery, an extreme diet, or an unvalidated medical product can cost you up to two years in prison and $300,000 in fines. Loi n° 2023-451 directly targets influencers, and the little-known fact is this: 60% of content creators in that country failed to comply with basic transparency rules before the law existed.
Some applaud the measure without reservation: they argue that millions of young people build their body image from what they see on screen, and that no one should profit by selling insecurities disguised as recommendations. On the other hand, creators and agencies warn that the line between informing and promoting is blurry, and that regulating sponsored content could open the door to broader censorship.
Does protecting young people justify limiting what a creator can say or sell?