Norway’s New Social Media Law
- frontpageinitiative
- Sep 12, 2021
- 2 min read
At the start of July, Norway implemented a new law that requires influencers and content creators to disclose when they have edited or added a filter onto photos posted on social media. This law was implemented in response to body pressure in society, particularly pressure to conform to societal beauty standards. It will come into effect when Harold V, the current King of Norway, orders it to. This is an amendment to the current 2009 Marketing Act and requires sponsored posts to be marked with a label if the photo has been manipulated; such as enlarged lips, exaggerated muscles and narrow waists. It has not been confirmed if photo editing for lighting, colors or saturation will also require this label. The social media platforms that this law applies to include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and TikTok.
Youth advocacy groups have stated that the pressure of beauty standards have contributed greatly to mental health issues among teenagers and younger kids. Body image has increasingly become a concern as youth experience lower self-esteem. Social media and advertisements increase these societal pressures by exposing many to unrealistic beauty standards, despite users not realizing this when they first encounter these photos. One way that these strict beauty standards are presented is through models’ photos which have been extensively edited. The prominence of these kinds of photos in the media mean that certain images of beauty are constantly ingrained in the minds of many from a young age, eventually taking a toll on one’s self-esteem and mental health.
Some influencers do not think the law will be effective because it does not fully address mental health issues – not all issues are caused by an edited photo. For example, influencer Eirin Kristiansen argues that letting youth know that a photo is edited will not help to improve body confidence and will not change how they feel about themselves. She states that the youth should focus instead on how to be selective on social media and try to consume content that does not take a toll on one’s mental health.
True enough, 70,000 children and adolescents reported experiencing mental health issues that require treatment; a significant number in a country that has over 5.3 million people. Advocacy groups and politicians hope that this law will help reduce the pressure exerted from social media to adhere to society’s harsh beauty standards. Many influencers have positively responded to the law with hopes that youth will stop comparing themselves to what they see online, with some stating that it may not solve the issue as a whole. Nevertheless, it is still a step in the right direction. With the prominence of social media, this law could help the youth realize that what they see on their screens is not a look that they must achieve to be beautiful.
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Published September 6, 2021
Written by Lindsay Wong ~ Edited by Farah Mourad ~ Graphics created by Abinaya Balaji
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