The senators unanimously approved this Wednesday in commission, a “rebalanced” text to regulate the controversial commercial practices of influencers on social networks, which will be examined next Tuesday in the chamber.
Unanimously approved at first reading at the end of March by the National Assembly, this cross-partisan text, supported by Bercy and the Minister for SMEs Olivia Grégoire, gives a legal definition to influencers and prohibits certain practices, such as the promotion of cosmetic surgery .
The rapporteur of the text in the Senate Amel Gacquerre (centrist) proposed also prohibiting the promotion of therapeutic abstention, nicotine-based products, in particular nicotine sachets whose sale on the Internet is developing among adolescents, or even subscriptions to sports betting forecasts. For the rapporteur, it is about “protecting even more, in particular the young public”.
Up to two years in prison
The senators recalled that existing rules on advertising and promotion already apply to influencer marketing.
The applicable sanctions have been strengthened if the advertising prohibitions are not respected or if an influencer hides the true commercial intention of his publication, which would now be clearly indicated with the mention “Advertising”: up to two years in prison and a fine of 300,000 euros.
They also adopted an amendment by Laurent Duplomb (LR) that removes the ban on children under 16 years of promoting food or drinks that are too sweet, salty or contain too many synthetic products, which had been debated in the National Assembly.
Source: BFM TV
