Do You Have to Disclose Retouched Photos? Laws, Ethics and Good Practice

The short answer

In most places there is no general rule that every retouched photo must be labeled. A few countries, however, require a label on certain retouched images in advertising, mainly where the body has been changed. The rules differ, change over time and depend on where the image is shown.

This article is a general overview, not legal advice. If you publish ads, check the current rules for your market.

Where rules exist

France has required, since 1 October 2017, a label such as retouched photograph on commercial images where a model's body shape has been changed digitally. Editorial images are not covered.

Norway passed a law in 2021 that requires advertisers and influencers to label images where body size, shape or skin has been edited. Israel has had rules of its own on retouched advertising since the early 2010s, and sources differ on the exact details.

Enforcement is hard in practice, because proving that an image was edited is not always simple. That is one reason many brands choose to follow the spirit of these rules voluntarily.

Products and claims

Another kind of rule applies to product advertising. Advertising standards in many countries prohibit images that mislead about what the product can do or what it looks like. A skincare ad that shows results the product cannot deliver, or a product shot with colors that do not match the real item, can cause problems and returns.

That is why we match product colors to your references and keep the real details of your product.

Good practice

Retouch to clean and to flatter, not to change a person's body or to promise results. Keep skin looking like skin. Keep products true to color and size. If an image is edited in a way that changes how someone looks in a meaningful way, consider adding a note.

Agree the level of retouching with your model or client before the job, and keep a record of the original files.

How we think about it

Our approach is natural, hand retouching that keeps real skin texture and true product details. We do not use AI filters that change a face. That is better for the people in your photos, and it is also easier to defend.

If you have a specific legal requirement for a campaign, tell us in your brief and we will work within it.

See how we retouch portraits naturally →