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The popularity of young influencers has increased considerably in recent years. Children who are filmed by their parents are in the first lists of the most popular and highest paid Youtube channels both in Sweden and around the world. France now regulates, in light of events, how children can be used for financial purposes on social media. The only law in the world goes into effect in April.
READ MORE: The eight-year-old earns more on YouTube
Must have a permit
According to the new influencers law, parents must request permission from local authorities to use their children for commercial purposes, so it is no longer enough to ask children. The amount of time that minors can dedicate to commercial work is also regulated, and children’s income must be kept in a special bank account until they are 16 years old. Violation of the law can carry from a fine to five years in prison.
Joakim Lundell, one of the biggest influencers in Sweden. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg / TT
Influencers welcome
Several Swedish influencers call for clearer directives in the area and welcome a similar law in Sweden.
– It is very difficult for me to see that the parents would end up in jail on the right and left. But a team would be nice to bring the issue to the table. Exposing kids on social media is new, so it would be nice to have guidelines on how we should do it, influencer Michaela Forni tells SVT.
Joakim Lundell, one of Sweden’s biggest influencers with a million followers on Instagram, agrees.
– It’s a great team. I do not believe at all that children should be an income for families. The parents’ job is to earn money and provide for the family, not the children, he says.
Her own daughter, Lunabelle Lundell, has her own Instagram profile with more than 200,000 followers controlled by her parents. But there is a difference between exposing your children and making money from them, according to Joakim Lundell.
– Everyone publishes photos of their children, public and private, but it is something completely different to make money with that. Previously we had a YouTube channel where we were very private and where children participated, but we have stopped now. It’s not okay to exploit children, says Joakim Lundell.
READ MORE: For us, children’s interests are stupid entertainment.
Majority open to investigation
A poll conducted by GP shows that most parliamentary parties view French law positively and state that Swedish legislation in this area may need to be strengthened.
– It is an incredibly interesting initiative and now it is important that Sweden also review its legislation. Children should not work, that’s what the Convention on the Rights of the Child says. A clear dividing line must be drawn for when exposure turns into child labor, says Member of Parliament Lawen Redar (S).
She continues:
– I want to see research that takes a closer look at how the exposure of children on social media for work purposes can be regulated in a Swedish context.
Lawen Redar (S), Member of Parliament. Photo: Nathalie Besér
For the Green Party, the member of Parliament and president of the Committee on Civil Affairs Emma Hult responds that the development of social networks can create new needs.
– I am open to the fact that legislation may be necessary to guarantee children’s rights on the Internet. Today, many children dream of becoming influencers; at the same time, it is difficult for children to have an overview of the consequences of being exposed on the Internet. Children should not be exploited by their parents, says Emma Hult (MP).
The Center Party says that it basically thinks that the parents themselves should be responsible, but that in this case the children’s voice must be strengthened.
– As it is today, the Guardians can do whatever they want. For the Center Party, legislation is the last resort, but the issue must be raised politically and an investigation can be one way. Some form of regulation is necessary, says Member of Parliament Helena Vilhelmsson (C).
Helena Vilhelmsson (C), Member of Parliament. Photo: Henrik Montgomery / TT
Christian Democrats say that the punishment against parents for raising the child cannot be taken lightly, but that new means have emerged from current legislation.
– Some examples that have been seen in the media of how children are exposed are worrying. We are ready to support research on how the rights of the child can be strengthened in relation to these issues, says Larry Söder (KD), Member of Parliament and Vice Chairman of the Civil Committee.
Sweden’s Democrats believe that it is highly doubtful that the commercialization of children is done with the best interests of children in mind.
– We are cautiously positive about a similar law in Sweden, says Mikael Eskilandersson, SD group leader in the civil committee.
As the only parliamentary party, the Liberals respond that Swedish law strongly protects children in the labor market and that personal responsibility and a discussion within the industry should be the starting point.
– Being an influencer is for many a source of income or a business. It is good that the discussion is about how children are used in the world of influencers and laws may need to adjust to the step of digitization, but politics should only intervene if it is really necessary, says the policy spokesman of party child rights, Juno Blom. (L).
Juno Blom (L), spokesperson for the children’s rights policy. Photo: Henrik Montgomery / TT
“Politics is not involved”
Several of the Riksdag members are self-critical of the slowness they believe often characterizes Swedish law.
– We’re a little late all the time. Technology moves fast and politics don’t keep up, says Lawen Redar (S).
Helana Vilhelmsson (C) agrees:
– It is important that we are now proactive and not reactive as so many times before.
READ MORE: Gossip and escapism: that’s why we follow influencers
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