MPs voted unanimously on Wednesday for a cross-partisan bill to regulate the criticized influencer sector, before likely final adoption in the Senate on Thursday. Accusations of fraud or scams, promotions of ineffective or dangerous remedies, non-explicit partnerships: the actions of some of the influencers have placed the entire community in the sights of authorities and legislators. “Commercial influence is too often used to circumvent the bans on advertising,” regretted one of the authors of the text, MP Stéphane Vojetta. “Our Parliament is capable of the worst as well as the best”, underlined the socialist co-author Arthur Delaporte, in reference to the very strong tensions which marked the examination earlier in committee of a bill to repeal the retirement at 64 years, finally unraveled.
“The best is what we do tonight,” he continued. “The influencers will continue to exercise. The influencers will still exist but will know that the law is there to punish them,” he insisted. Their joint initiative is also supported by the government: “Bravo for your work”, greeted in the hemicycle the Minister Delegate for Trade Olivia Grégoire. Their text, adopted unanimously (194 voters), as at each stage of its parliamentary shuttle, plans to prohibit the promotion of certain practices, such as cosmetic surgery, or “therapeutic abstention”. It prohibits or severely regulates the promotion of several medical devices. It prohibits the promotion of products containing nicotine, and recalls submission to the Evin law. But the association Addictions France regrets that it does not go further by prohibiting the promotion of alcohol.
The text prevents the promotion of subscriptions to sports predictions, confines the promotion of games of chance and money to the only platforms which allow access to video to be prohibited for minors. In the event of a breach, it provides for penalties of up to two years in prison and a fine of 300,000 euros. It also intends to supervise “agents of influencers”. A written contract will be mandatory when the sums involved exceed a certain threshold. Hoping to reach influencers operating from abroad, in Dubai in particular, the text requires those who operate from outside the EU, Switzerland, or the European Economic Area, to take out civil insurance in the EU. to compensate victims. They will also have to appoint a legal representative in the EU. A final vote is due to take place Thursday afternoon in the Senate.
