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Thousands of Women Join Instagram's #FilterDrop Challenge to Fight Against Retouched Beauty Ads

Fed-up Instagram influencers are banding together to advocate for stricter guidelines on how beauty products are advertised online.

Thousands of Women Join Instagram's #FilterDrop Challenge to Fight Against Retouched Beauty Ads

Beauty ads on Instagram can look polished to the point of being unreal, and that is exactly why the #FilterDrop campaign caught so much attention. As more people noticed how often filters and retouching were being used to sell tanning and makeup products, the backlash started to build.

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Makeup artist Sasha Louise Pallari launched the campaign to encourage women to post natural photos and push for clearer rules around beauty advertising. After complaints to the UK Advertising Standards Authority, several ads were ruled misleading, and the response quickly turned into a bigger conversation about honesty online.

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Now the campaign has gone far beyond one complaint, and the pressure on filtered beauty ads is only growing.

1. The ASA discovered that the tanning brand 'Skinny Tan' had used an in-app filter to enhance influencer Elly Norris's tanned look for their ad campaign.

1. The ASA discovered that the tanning brand 'Skinny Tan' had used an in-app filter to enhance influencer Elly Norris's tanned look for their ad campaign.mssoerensen1
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2.

ASA ruling notes Skinny Tan used an in-app filter on influencer Elly Norris.beautifulbybreakfast
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3.

Sasha files complaints to ASA over Skinny Tan ads using retouch filters.instagram

4.

Quote describes Perfect Tan filter making skin tone significantly darker in ads.whatmummadidnext

5. Sasha filed complaints with the ASA about the two ads, later hearing the news that it had been ruled that using filters in these cases was a breach of the CAP Code rules.

5. Sasha filed complaints with the ASA about the two ads, later hearing the news that it had been ruled that using filters in these cases was a breach of the CAP Code rules.bbcwest

The first ruling gave the campaign real momentum.

6. “We understood that the filter 'Perfect Tan' by Bianca Petry resulted in a significantly darker skin tone. The filter’s effects were therefore directly relevant to the intended effects of the product,” the ASA stated regarding the 'Perfect Tan' case.

6. “We understood that the filter 'Perfect Tan' by Bianca Petry resulted in a significantly darker skin tone. The filter’s effects were therefore directly relevant to the intended effects of the product,” the ASA stated regarding the 'Perfect Tan' case.elevateskin

7.

ASA assessment states ads breached CAP Code rules on misleading advertising and exaggeration.glamityjane

8. According to the ASA's assessment, “The ads breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 (Misleading Advertising) and 3.11 (Exaggeration).”

8. According to the ASA's assessment, “The ads breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 (Misleading Advertising) and 3.11 (Exaggeration).”sashalouisepallari

9.

ASA cites CAP Code breaches, misleading advertising and exaggerated tanning effects.annacamaleon

10.

ASA order requires Skinny Tan and Ms Norris not to apply exaggerating beauty filters.faean

11.

ASA statement warns influencers against using beauty filters that exaggerate product effects.charlottejonsie

12. An order was issued for the ads to be deleted, with the ASA stating, “The ads must not appear again in the form complained about. We told Skinny Tan and Ms. Norris not to apply beauty filters to photos that promoted beauty products if such filters were likely to exaggerate the effect the product was capable of achieving.”

12. An order was issued for the ads to be deleted, with the ASA stating, “The ads must not appear again in the form complained about. We told Skinny Tan and Ms. Norris not to apply beauty filters to photos that promoted beauty products if such filters were likely to exaggerate the effect the product was capable of achieving.”cheshona

That decision made the influencer world pay attention.

This also echoes the ethical alarms raised by the researcher on GLP-1 users, essentially “participants in a study.”

13.

Cinzia Baylis-Zullo talks about tanning face using Tanologist face and body drops.mimandskin

14. “Hi guys, I wanted to tell you all about how I’ve been tanning my face recently using these Tanologist face and body drops,” Cinzia said in a clearly airbrushed video.

14. “Hi guys, I wanted to tell you all about how I’ve been tanning my face recently using these Tanologist face and body drops,” Cinzia said in a clearly airbrushed video.helenazelenika

15.

Influencer Cinzia Baylis-Zullo video caption says she tans her face with Tanologist drops.zoe_agnew_

16. The ASA is cracking down hard on the influencer market, which is renowned for using misleading filters to promote beauty products.

16. The ASA is cracking down hard on the influencer market, which is renowned for using misleading filters to promote beauty products.beautifulbybreakfast

And the next case showed this was not a one-off.

17.

ASA crackdown highlights misleading filters in influencer ads promoting tanning products.beautifulbybreakfast

18.

ASA explains Perfect Tan filter directly relevant to tanning claims, creating misleading impressions.beautifulbybreakfast

19. The ASA added, “Because the ads conveyed a tanning effect of the product, we considered that the application of the filter 'Perfect Tan' by Bianca Petry to the images was directly relevant to the claimed performance of the product and gave a misleading impression about the performance capabilities of the product.”

19. The ASA added, “Because the ads conveyed a tanning effect of the product, we considered that the application of the filter 'Perfect Tan' by Bianca Petry to the images was directly relevant to the claimed performance of the product and gave a misleading impression about the performance capabilities of the product.”beautifulbybreakfast

20. Here's to seeing many more beautiful, natural faces online in the future!

20. Here's to seeing many more beautiful, natural faces online in the future!saigetaylor

21. A similar case involved an ad campaign for 'Tanologist Tan,' which was shared by influencer Cinzia Baylis-Zullo.

21. A similar case involved an ad campaign for 'Tanologist Tan,' which was shared by influencer Cinzia Baylis-Zullo.izzierodgers

22.

Text celebrates natural faces online, referencing similar Tanologist filter complaint case.life.of.lisa.w

Filtered beauty ads are having a harder time hiding now.

Want another social-media ethics mess, see why this woman asked whether to use her sister’s pregnancy announcement.

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