Legislators in Norway’s Parliament have passed a new law, by a 72-15 vote, that will require content creators to disclose when they have retouched or added a filter to a photo. Yahoo News reports that the law will apply to influencers and advertisers alike, to address ‘body pressure in society.’ After garnering overwhelming support in parliament, the law will go into effect when directed by Harald V, the current King of Norway.

Youth advocacy groups and Norway’s Ministry of Children and Family Affairs have called for stricter measures on image editing for years, amid increasing concerns surrounding body image, mental health and low self-esteem, particularly among Norway’s youths.

In the legal proposal, it’s stated that approximately 70,000 children and young people have mental health issues requiring treatment. In a nation of just under 5.4 million, that’s a significant number of people. The proposal says that more than half of 10th-grade girls in the Oslo School have mental health problems, and anorexia is the third most common cause of death among young girls.

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 Jeremy Gray – Jul 9, 2021