Norway forces edited photos to be limited to Instagram

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Lawmakers in Norway have passed new regulations requiring all influencers and advertisers to clearly label all edited photos, providing more transparency in such photos. The emergence of the portrait culture over the past decade has driven the development of digital enhancement tools and techniques. Many of the photos that people post online are edited and modified so much that a person is different from what they really look like.

The side effect is that there is a generation comparing itself with unrealistic images, and this leads to significant mental health implications, especially among younger women. Under recently passed rules, advertisements in which the shape, size, or skin of the body has been revised - even by a filter before the photo is taken need a standard poster designed by the Norwegian Ministry of Children and Family Affairs.

The new law covers content from influencers and celebrities if they receive any payment or other benefits in connection with the post. It links to all posts on social media platforms. Any violations are punishable by escalating fines and even imprisonment in extreme cases.

Norwegian officials acknowledge that the application may present a challenge in terms of discovering such improvements within the process. But the threat of legal action can act as a significant deterrent in many cases. Especially for individual influencers who are less willing to risk punishment with their posts.

This sees these influencers post more realistic images online, which in turn have a negative impact on regular user behaviors, and people feel more comfortable comparing their flaws. A study published by the UK's Royal Society of Public Health in 2017 found Instagram to be the worst social network for mental health, with the platform contributing to increased levels of anxiety and depression.

One of the main findings of the study was that Instagram contributed significantly to comparison among young people. With users feeling that they cannot match the highlights posted on other people's Instagram accounts. These perfectly sculpted, highly altered graphics greatly distort perceptions. That's why Google started removing beauty retouching tools in Pixel phones. Instagram has experimented with hiding the number of likes to reduce pressure.