France has introduced a new law to protect young influencers.
The legislation, which was passed on Tuesday (October 6), is targeted at teens whose social media presence generates an income. It aims to regulate the hours under-16s can work online and what happens to their earnings.
Any earnings they make will be safeguarded in a bank until they turn 16, while companies wishing to employ child influencers must ask permission from local authorities also. It also allows for content to be taken off any platform at the child’s request.
“Children’s rights must be preserved and protected, including on the internet, which must not be a lawless area,” said Bruno Studer, the MP behind the bill.
Child influencers are most popular on sites like YouTube, where their channels can earn millions each month. According to Forbes, the highest paid YouTuber of 2019 was eight-year-old Ryan Kajo, who earned £20 million. The third highest paid was Anastasia Radzinskaya, a five year old who earned roughly $18 million (approximately £14 million). I’m not crying, you are.