The government will soon take care to regulate the activity of influencers. The new text of law which delimits the practices in terms of online promotion has just been adopted unanimously in the Assembly, while the validation by the Senate should not delay any longer. We take stock of what will change.
With 60% of government-controlled influencers failing to comply with the law when it comes to online promotion, there is an urgent need for the government to tackle the problem by clearly defining the contours of this nascent activity. This is precisely what the deputies have just done by unanimously adopting a new piece of legislation. Validation by the Senate should take place today.
This text is therefore intended to be much more precise in terms of the practices to be applied, in particular concerning the areas which may or may not be the subject of promotion. Thus, it will now be prohibited to extol the merits of a product affiliated with nicotine, which also includes electronic cigarettes. The same goes for alcoholic beverages.
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Here’s everything the Influencer Regulation Act will change
Similarly, it will no longer be possible to promote sports betting platforms. Gambling and games of chance, on the other hand, must imperatively be accompanied by the words “Prohibited for those under eighteen years of age”. The field of health is also concerned by this text of law, since the influencers will no longer be able to evoke methods of alternative medicine or even encourage to undergo a surgical operation.
Finally, promotions for cryptocurrencies and other NFTs will have to be carried out by companies registered as a PSAN (digital asset service provider). Last point, it will be forbidden to film yourself alongside animals protected by French law, unless they are held by an authorized establishment. Influencers breaking the law face a fine of €300,000 and a two-year prison sentence. “The ‘influencers’ will still exist, but will know that the law is there to punish them,” said Arthur Delaporte, co-author of the law.