A new ruling has told influencers to stop using ‘misleading’ filters to exaggerate the effect of beauty products in paid adverts, following a months-long social media campaign.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) made the decision, which will apply to brands, influencers and celebrities based in the UK, following make-up artist Sasha Pallari’s #filterdrop campaign that encouraged influencers to show their ‘real skin’ when promoting beauty products.
The ruling states that simply referencing the use of a filter on their Instagram posts does not go far enough; instead, brands and influencers must avoid applying filters that exaggerate the real impact of the products they are promoting. Ads that break the new rules will now be taken down and banned from being reposted.
Pallari, 29, told BBC News she was ‘over the moon’ with the impact of her campaign, which began in July 2020 and soon attracted attention from celebrities, social media users and politicians. As someone who regularly uploads unfiltered selfies herself in an attempt to promote body positivity, Pallari said she worried about the pressure young women on social media felt to match unrealistic beauty standards.
