Under influence of digital fakery
SOLIHULL MP Julian Knight is one of the sponsors of proposed new legislation designed to prevent advertisers and “influencers” passing off digitally-altered images as the real thing.
These are photographs of people that have been altered to remove any supposed imperfections. Waists are made thinner, skin blemishes are removed and teeth are whitened.
It’s a common practice. In fact, while the term often used is “photoshopping” – which suggests an expert sitting at a powerful computer (Photoshop is the brand name of expensive software used by professionals) – all you need nowadays is a mobile phone and an app which you can probably get for free.
But some people make more use of alteration than others.
And the practice is used by some celebrities who have hundreds of thousands of followers, or more, on services such as TikTok or Instagram.
That can include actresses and singers, but also people who have become famous purely by virtue of being popular on social media.
Some experts believe that unreal images can lead to physical or mental illnesses, as fans attempt to emulate the people they admire. Men and boys are by no means immune to this problem, but many of those affected are young women.
The ‘Digitally Altered Body Images Bill’ would require publishers to display a logo in cases where an image of a human body or body part has been digitally altered in its proportions. It wouldn’t stop people altering photographs or publishing them – they’d just have to be clearly labelled.
The proposal is backed by a range of MPs from different parties. They include former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who like Mr Knight is a Conservative, Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse and Labour MP Sarah Owen, among others.
Due to the way Parliament works it stands little chance of becoming law directly, unless it receives Government backing, but it could prompt the Government to introduce legislation of its own.
Mr Knight is also leading an inquiry into “influencer culture”, in his role as chair of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which will look at doctored images among other issues.
Announcing the inquiry, he said: “Influencers wield a growing power over people’s lives.
“We want to find out how influencer culture operates and what impact it has.
“There’s concern that while influencers are useful to advertisers in reaching the right markets on social media, there is a lack of transparency around the promotion of products or services.
“We’ll be looking at whether there’s a need for tighter regulation in this area and what form that might take.”
His committee has questioned
celebrities such as former Love
Island contestant Amy Hart as well as academics, senior managers from services such as TikTok and Instagram, and others.
It’s phenomena worthy of investigation, according to Girlguiding, the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK.
In a submission to the inquiry, it said girls had made even more use of social media than usual during lockdowns.
It said: “Our research with girls during the first Covid-19 lockdown revealed that girls and young women were spending more time on social media, with 85% of girls aged 15-18 saying this.
‘‘Many have kept connected this way with 78% saying they’ve used new apps and games to communicate with friends and family.
“But with increased time online, they’ve faced increased pressures.
For example, 26% said they felt pressured to lose weight or exercise.
“And our most recent survey following the latest lockdown showed that 25% of girls and young women aged 15 to 18 said they felt under more pressure to look a certain way.”
And this may not be healthy – because online images of girls and young women on social media place young people under pressure, Girlguiding warns.
The organisation points out that the use of edited images is “normalised” in influencer culture.
It said: “Girls and young women tell us that the narrow ways in which women are represented in the media, including on social media through influencers, negatively impacts their confidence, wellbeing and body image.
“For example, reinforcing unrealistic beauty ideals, the sexual objectification of girls and women, and normalising unequal social and professional roles of women and men.
“With children and young people’s access to the internet increasing each year, it’s important to understand the impact this can have.”
Influencers wield a growing power over people’s lives...