MP proposes law on labels for digitally-altered body images

Advertisers and publishers would be forced to display logos alerting people that digitally images have been altered, if a law gets passed.

MP Dr Luke Evans told MPs social media posts often create a "digitally warped reality... that can never be achieved".

If passed, the law may also force social media influencers to display a logo on paid-for content.

He said filters were "creating an unrealistic and unachievable aspiration" for young people.

Speaking in the House of Commons Dr Evans, a registered GP and MP for Hinckley & Bosworth, said: "With the click of a mouse you can have bigger biceps, with the swipe of a thumb you can have a slimmer waste."

In his speech, the Conservative politician mentioned reality TV celebrities Spencer Matthews and Lauren Goodger, who have spoken out about their own struggles with body image.

Goodger, who found fame on The Only Way Is Essex, has spoken about her anxiety about posting pictures of her body on social media, and Made In Chelsea's Spencer Matthews has admitted using steroids after feeling the need to "bulk up".

Dr Evans said 1.25 million people in the UK are thought to be living with either anorexia or bulimia.

If the Digitally Altered Body Images Bill is passed, it would require advertisers and publishers to display a logo whenever a person's face or body has been digitally enhanced.

When speaking about whether this could impact on social media influencers, he said: "This is a grey area [but] the industry is actively trying to define social influencers."

In 2017, France introduced a law requiring any commercial image that had been altered to make someone look thinner, to carry a warning.

The proposed legislation has received the backing of the Girlguiding charity, which cited its own research that suggests around half of young women aged between 11 and 21 regularly use apps or filters to make photos of themselves look better online.

The Digitally Altered Body Images Bill is due to be put forward in the House of Commons for a second reading on 16 October.

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