Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 9
9
Deferred
Paragraph: 66
Introduce legislation to mandate a logo label for all digitally altered commercial body images.
Recommendation
We call on the Government to work with advertisers to feature a wider variety of body aesthetics, and work with industry and the ASA to encourage advertisers and influencers not to doctor their images. We believe the Government should introduce legislation that ensures commercial images are labelled with a logo where any part of the body, including its proportions and skin tone, are digitally altered.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government acknowledges the issue and commits to collaborating with other departments to gather robust evidence on screen time's impact before deciding whether to progress with a nationwide public health campaign. It does not commit to working with advertisers or introducing legislation for image labelling.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
66
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
The government acknowledges the possible link between digitally altered body images and mental health, including the potential harms such a link may cause. Through its work on the OAP , DCMS is considering how the government should approach advertisements that contribute to body image concerns, such as adverts that portray or present: body types cosmetic interventions health products medicines The government recognises the work that ASA has already done in this area via standards setting, training and formal rulings, and looks forward to working alongside ASA to identify the appropriate course of action. The consultation on the OAP closed on 8 June 2022, and DCMS is currently analysing consultation responses and developing policy. DCMS will be setting out more details on its intended actions in the government response to the OAP consultation, which will be published in due course. Our priority will be to ensure that any intervention is evidence based, and makes a real and positive difference. In addition to this, the government will work with both ASA and the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers regarding the organisation’s roles in encouraging advertisers and influencers against doctoring images. The extent of DCMS ’s role in this work will be decided as the OAP develops. The government believes that the range of body aesthetics featured in advertisements is ultimately a decision for advertisers and brands to make. However, the government recognises the committee’s view surrounding the role that greater representation of diverse body types could play in reducing negative body image and would welcome industry initiatives in this space.
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