After new promotion laws were officially passed on Thursday, influencers in France may now be sentenced to jail time if they are proven to have violated them.
The strict new regulations are intended to safeguard consumers from deceptive or fraudulent internet business practices. They limit the promotion of betting and lottery games and prohibit the advertising of goods like tobacco.
In Europe, this is the first time the position has been legally established. The bipartisan legislation made it through the rest of parliament and was approved by the Senate on Wednesday with a unanimous vote.
Online personalities with significant followings who can start trends are known as influencers. Some want consumers to purchase the goods they are marketing, but they frequently fail to disclose that they are doing so.
According to French MPs, they intended to “clarify the contours” of commercial activity and define the “responsibilities and obligations” of influencers in response to a rise in the number of people falling victim to online scams.
According to their new legislation, “actors of commercial influence” won’t be able to promote lotteries or gambling on websites that can’t block minors. Along with tobacco, it will be illegal to promote cosmetic surgery, several financial goods, and medical equipment.
A fine of up to $322,000 or up to two years in prison might be imposed as penalties for violations. The ability of the authorities to enforce the new laws, particularly when influencers’ profiles are apparent in France but they are not actually located there, is a source of concern.
The Ministry of the Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty estimates that France has more than 150,000 influencers.
