Do digitally edited photos in social media have to be labeled? On behalf of the Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM), the HBI investigated the necessity of a legal labeling requirement for edited photos and videos. The expert opinion was presented to the public on 5 February 2025 and is available for download here as a working paper.
Dreyer, Stephan; Lampert, Claudia; Andresen, Sünje (2025): Kennzeichnung von bearbeiteten (Influencer-)Fotos: Erforderlichkeit, Wirkung, Regelungsansätze [Labeling of Edited (Influencer) Photos: Necessity, Effect, Regulatory Approaches]. Hamburg: Verlag Hans-Bredow-Institut, January 2025 (Working Papers of the Hans-Bredow-Institut | Project Results No. 75). ISBN 978-3-87296-193-8, https://doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.99635
The report concludes that a labeling requirement would not be a good idea: the legal requirements for an enforceable legal regulation are high, and the positive effects of labeling are controversial. Instead of a legal labeling requirement, the platforms’ algorithms could be adapted to promote more diverse and realistic body representations.
To the press release
To the project description