Defining the concept of influencer, prohibiting certain product promotions: the Ministry of Economy released this Wednesday the results of the consultation launched online with the aim of better regulating this activity at the center of the controversy.
Nearly 19,000 people -interested parties or ordinary citizens- participated in this consultation held from January 9 to 31 on the Make.org site, commenting or reacting to twelve measures proposed by the ministry to regulate the sector.
The results show a “high level of support” for all measures, according to the consultation platform. They express clear priorities for “strong state intervention”, with controls and sanctions, a ban on the promotion of certain products, a guide to good practices, etc.
rising pressure
The conclusions that will be retained will be presented by Minister Bruno Le Maire on Wednesday, when he indicated in his office, so that he will be examined by the National Assembly with a proposal for transpartisans on the matter . A text that should be enriched thanks to this consultation.
Accumulating millions of subscribers for some, who have become real stars, influencers distribute content on social networks that can influence the consumption patterns of their subscribers.
In recent months, pressure has increased in France to regulate this activity often denounced for its opacity: remuneration for brands, risks of unfair competition, tax exile or accusations of fraud.
In detail, the 12 proposals were broken down into four themes: influencers’ rights and obligations, consumer protection, sector governance and intellectual property.
Thus, the majority of those surveyed (53.5%) consider it a “priority” to establish a legal definition of the influencer and their agent (57%). It is also a priority to foresee reinforced legal obligations between the influencer and the brand (66%) on the one hand, particularly in tax matters, and between the influencer and his agent on the other (57%).
In terms of consumer protection, the establishment of a good conduct guide for influencers (76%), the prohibition of the promotion of certain products (such as dropshipping) and services (85.9%), for example speculative financial products, reinforced obligations for social networks (82%) as well as the obligation to mention retouched visual content (57.6%).
Other popular measures include a stronger role for supervisory and control authorities, as well as responsible labeling for influencers.
Source: BFM TV
