“
The rules must apply to everyone
,” argued Thursday Magali Berdah, controversial boss of the influencer agency Shauna Events, as parliamentarians examine a cross-partisan bill to regulate this booming activity.
“
The rules must be applicable to everyone, be it agencies, influencers.
If the rules are not applied, (there must) be sanctions to avoid these amalgams and that there is finally a serene work
, ”she declared before the Senate Economic Affairs Committee.
To discover
LIVE - Pension reform: follow the 12th day of mobilization
“
I am well placed to say it since I am the first to be on the front lines of all these controversies, unfortunately pointed out in place of everyone and no one takes their responsibilities too much”, she added
. , while rapper Booba criticizes the business practices of certain influencers and regularly attacks Magali Berdah on social networks.
“
It is urgent (to supervise this sector), it is a vital question for me.
I would have liked it to be taken into consideration when I asked for it two years ago, when I had asked for meetings on several occasions to alert the authorities and say: we need clear rules so that everyone applies them and that the people who are responsible are condemned
“, she further underlined.
The bill examined since the end of March by parliamentarians provides for a legal definition of the activity of the 150,000 French influencers: it consists of mobilizing "
their notoriety
" to promote "
goods, services or any cause whatsoever
" against an economic benefit or a benefit in kind.
The profession of “
influencer agent
” will also be defined and framed, with a contract obligation mentioning “
submission to French law
” even if they work from abroad towards France.
Read alsoInfluencer Act: Booba refuses to be heard by the Senate
The pressure is on to regulate this maligned sector
“
If the majority of followers (of these influencers) are French, it makes sense that this indeed applies to French law
”, underlined Magali Berdah.
Become for some of the stars with millions of subscribers, influencers disseminate content on social networks that can greatly influence behavior.
In recent months, pressure has mounted to regulate this maligned sector where non-explicit paid partnerships, unfair competition, tax exile or accusations of scams are denounced.
The Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) published a damning study on their practices at the end of January.
