A new law in France went into effect on October 1 requiring anyone publishing a photo that has been airbrushed or photoshopped to “slim or flesh out” a model’s body to be labeled as such, or risk incurring a €37,500 fine (about $44,000).
The BBC reports that the “Photoshop law” will not apply to retouching hair or removing skin blemishes, as it is mostly aimed at avoiding images of “excessively thin” models. Another law passed this year requires French models to present a medical certificate attesting to the fact that they have a “healthy” Body Mass Index. “Exposing young people to normative and unrealistic images of bodies leads to a sense of self-depreciation and poor self-esteem that can impact health-related behavior,” Health Minister Marisol Touraine said, framing it as a public health issue. France has also taken aim at so called “pro-anorexia” websites, having made it illegal in 2015 to advocate for eating disorders, with punishments of up to a year in jail and a €10,000 fine for violators.
This was a topic of discussion at last months Women in the World Canada Summit. Watch the complete Flipping the Script panel below.
