Why responsible influence matters in 2026
Global influencer marketing spending grew 14x in a decade: from $1.7 billion in 2015 to $24 billion in 2024 (Statista 2025). France alone invested €519 million in 2024, up from €323 million in 2022, representing 5% of digital ad spend (ARPP / France Pub 2025). 20% of national advertisers collaborated with creators in 2024, versus 15% in 2022 (same study). 68% of them worked through agencies or intermediaries, up from 37% two years earlier.
This growth exposed failures: undisclosed ads, promotion of harmful products, greenwashing. Audience trust fell from 51% in 2019 to 41% in 2023 (Cetelem / Harris Interactive). Two-thirds of social media users want more responsibility and ethics from the creators they follow (Reech 2025). 51% say they would unfollow an influencer who promotes overconsumption.
The 2022 IPCC report mentioned for the first time the potential role of influencers in promoting low-carbon behaviours. In 2026, France's ecological transition agency ADEME published the second edition of its Responsible Influence Guide, defining responsible influence around three pillars: reliable information, meaningful partnerships, and messages compatible with ecological transition.
For brands, agencies and creators, responsible influence is no longer a branding exercise. It is an operational framework, shaped by law and driven by audience expectations.
The legal framework: France's June 2023 law and European regulation
France's law of 9 June 2023 transformed the influencer marketing sector. It defines commercial influence activity, mandates transparency (labels such as "Ad" or "Commercial collaboration"), and bans the promotion of certain products: aesthetic surgery, cryptocurrencies without AMF approval, and nicotine products. Penalties reach up to 2 years in prison and €300,000 in fines. The law also establishes co-responsibility between the advertiser, the influencer, and the agent.
France's consumer protection authority DGCCRF increased enforcement: 94 influencers audited in 2022, 212 in 2023, 287 in 2024. In 2024, 46% of audited influencers showed compliance issues (ADEME Guide 2026). Sanctions included 27 warnings, 57 administrative injunctions, 17 formal reports, and 3 administrative penalties. A 2026 parliamentary report proposes 78 measures to strengthen the law further.
Self-regulation and industry standards
The ARPP (France's advertising self-regulatory body) tracks commercial collaboration disclosure compliance. The numbers show clear progress: 73% compliance in 2020, 95% in 2024, and 97% in Q1 2025 (ARPP Observatory). The Responsible Commercial Influence Certificate, launched in 2021, grew from 356 certified influencers to over 2,400 by early 2026.
The UMICC (Union of Influence and Content Creation Professions), founded in late 2022, published five ethical charters in April 2024 (updated February 2025) covering transparency, contractualisation, audience protection and environmental impact. The SCRP co-developed an e-label "Responsible Influence Consulting Agency" with Afnor (France's standardisation body) in 2023.
At the European level, the Digital Services Act (DSA) has reinforced transparency obligations since August 2023. The Digital Fairness Act (DFA), announced in September 2024, will target deceptive digital commercial practices. A European Commission study (February 2024), analysing 576 influencer posts across 22 member states, found that only one in five influencers disclosed ads consistently.
The three pillars of responsible influence
The ADEME defines responsible influence around three axes (Responsible Influence Guide, 2026 edition).
Reliability: honest, sourced information
62% of creators do not consistently verify their sources (UNESCO study, 500 creators across 45 countries). On TikTok, one in five posts contains misinformation, versus 13% on Facebook, 11% on X, 8% on YouTube and Instagram, and 2% on LinkedIn (Science Feedback 2025). Responsible influence starts with rigour: verifying brand claims, cross-referencing sources, refusing to relay unsubstantiated information. The ADEME recommends that creators "understand the message they are asked to carry, then decide consciously whether the collaboration is relevant."
Partnerships that make sense
Choosing partners puts a creator's credibility on the line. The ADEME provides a checklist for evaluating each collaboration: research the organisation (legal status, sector, controversies), assess its environmental and social impacts, verify brief claims against independent sources (Open Climat, Clear Fashion, UFC-Que Choisir, Yuka, Open Food Facts). If the organisation has problematic track records or lacks social and environmental commitments, the creator has every right to decline.
83% of creators consider anti-scam efforts their top ethical priority, 67% cite transparency, 43% responsible consumption, and 34% environmental protection (Reech 2024).
Messages compatible with ecological transition
The average carbon footprint of a French citizen is 8.2 tonnes of CO2e per year (SDES 2025). IPCC trajectories target 2 tonnes per person by 2050 to stay compatible with a 2°C warming limit. Influencers shape the collective imagination of their audiences. The ADEME invites creators to question the lifestyles they promote: avoid showcasing air travel as a status symbol, stop relaying ephemeral micro-trends that drive impulse purchases, and favour content that highlights more sustainable lifestyles, lower-carbon transport alternatives, and experiences over material accumulation.
Practical guide: building a responsible influencer campaign
For creators: define a personal ethical framework
The ADEME recommends that creators formalise their partnership selection criteria. Some influencers have structured this approach: some refuse partnerships with fast fashion brands, others cap the number of commercial collaborations per month, others test every product before discussing it publicly. Publishing an ethical charter on your website or integrating it into contracts sets clear expectations with advertisers and agencies.
The ADEME's partnership selection grid evaluates each collaboration across several criteria: the partner's overall environmental impact, social and ethical track record, transparency and public commitments, tendency to encourage overconsumption, educational or cultural value of the content, link with sustainable living, and alignment with the creator's personal values.
For brands: transparent briefs with evidence
The ADEME provides a template brief to share with influencers or agencies before any collaboration. It covers the organisation's profile (status, sector, controversies), socio-environmental commitments (certifications, labels, CSR reports), the product in question (composition, manufacturing locations, environmental impacts, labels), and the expected message (with supporting evidence). Sharing this information upfront enables the influencer and their agency to make an informed decision and protects both parties from reputational risk.
For agencies: driving the transition
Agencies serve as gatekeepers between brands and creators. The ADEME recommends they establish clear influencer selection criteria (minimum engagement on social and environmental issues) and partnership selection grids (environmental footprint, societal commitments, transparency). Over time, agencies can set measurable targets: train all teams on socio-environmental issues, appoint an "engagement lead" responsible for campaign ethics, and publish an annual impact report.
At Matriochka Influences, we integrate these principles into our Next-Gen method: the creator selection phase accounts for value alignment, and every brief includes legally mandated transparency requirements. Our work with brands such as Kenvue and Picard confirms that ethical campaigns and high-performing campaigns are not opposites: a creator's credibility amplifies the message's impact.
Transparency and greenwashing: the traps to avoid
Greenwashing covers any claim likely to mislead the public about a product's environmental impact or a company's CSR approach (ADEME Anti-Greenwashing Guide 2025). It is not always intentional: ignorance, carelessness, or the desire to meet public expectations without changing actual practices can produce the same result.
The ADEME identifies five areas of vigilance to prevent greenwashing in influencer campaigns:
Data and claims
Check that a genuine environmental initiative exists, backed by a recognised framework, and that it addresses the company's major impacts. France's AGEC and Climate and Resilience laws regulate environmental claims. Vague terms such as "eco-friendly," "green," or "good for the planet" are banned on packaging and restricted elsewhere. The ADEME does not recommend using "carbon neutral" in communications. EU Directive 2024/825, to be transposed from 27 September 2026, will tighten the rules further on environmental claims and labels.
Visuals and storytelling
The ARPP's sustainable development recommendation bans the depiction of motor vehicles in natural spaces and requires visuals to remain proportionate to any ecological argument. Campaign narratives must integrate environmental values without undermining them through contradictory choices. The ADEME cites the example of an influencer invited to a sponsored beach clean-up who, in the same stories, promoted sunglasses with a promo code, creating a disconnect between the ecological message and the commercial agenda.
Activations
Press trips, contests and events must remain consistent with the stated values. The UMICC charter recommends that agencies use train travel for all trips under 6 hours and optimise the stay-duration-to-travel-time ratio when flights are unavoidable.
For brands and agencies, the rule is the same: provide creators with transparent briefs backed by verifiable evidence (certifications, CSR reports, labels from independent bodies), and do not omit past controversies.
Measuring the impact of a responsible campaign
Responsible influence calls for new metrics. Beyond reach and engagement rate, the ADEME suggests tracking the percentage of responsible partnerships, the share of non-commercial or educational content, and audience feedback on message coherence. Kolsquare offers a campaign carbon footprint calculator developed with SAMI (a climate analysis firm), which factors in travel, digital usage, product shipments and generated interactions. The tool is free and open to all brands, agencies and creators.
Publishing an annual impact report (number of campaigns, types of brand partners, content analysis, social or environmental impact measurement) helps track progress and provides accountability to stakeholders. For more on performance measurement, see our guide on how to measure influencer campaign ROI.
Responsible influence as a competitive edge
97% of commercial collaborations met transparency rules in Q1 2025 (ARPP Observatory). Over 2,400 creators hold the Responsible Commercial Influence Certificate. 35% of followers say they would unfollow an influencer who partners with unethical brands (Reech 2025).
Responsible influence protects the creator's credibility, secures the brand's reputation, and meets the requirements of an increasingly precise legal framework. For agencies, it is also a differentiator: the SCRP "Responsible Influence Consulting Agency" label, co-developed with Afnor in 2023, certifies best practices.
Looking to structure an ethical, high-performing influencer campaign? Contact Matriochka Influences to discuss your project.
Contact
elodie.monchicourt@mtrchk.com / charlie.trouillebout@mtrchk.com
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is responsible influencer marketing?
According to ADEME's guide (2026 edition), it rests on three pillars: reliable, sourced information; partnerships consistent with the creator's values; and messages compatible with the ecological transition. It is an operational framework, not just a positioning statement.
What disclosures are mandatory for a sponsored post in France?
Since the law of June 9, 2023, every commercial collaboration must carry a clear, visible label — "Publicité" or "Collaboration commerciale" — throughout the content. Violations expose to sanctions of up to 2 years in prison and a €300,000 fine, with shared liability between the advertiser, the influencer and the agency.
How do you avoid greenwashing in an influencer campaign?
By making only proven claims: an environmental approach backed by a recognised framework, independent labels, a CSR report. Vague wording ("eco-friendly", "good for the planet") is regulated under French AGEC and Climate laws, and visuals must remain proportionate to the ecological argument.
What is the Responsible Commercial Influence Certificate?
A certificate launched by the ARPP (the French advertising self-regulation body) in 2021, validating creators' knowledge of the legal and ethical framework. More than 2,400 influencers hold it as of early 2026. For brands, it is a simple casting criterion to de-risk creator selection.
Last updated: July 2026
