France Just Made Influencing Fast Fashion a Crime

It's currently near impossible to scroll on social media without seeing someone touting a recent "Shein haul"—whether you want to or not. For those who have been fortunate enough to have a narrow escape, allow me to set the scene: an influencer holds up handfuls of clothing items raving about how each piece "cost only £2". Although, we all know by now that these 'bargain' fashion finds come with quite a significant cost attached. So, France has a solution: unveiling a bill which is now known as the ultra-fast fashion ban.

Recently approved by the French Senate and expected to move to a joint committee in September, this soon-to-be-passed legislation would introduce an eco-score system specifically targeting ‘ultra-fast fashion’ giants like Shein and Temu. Brands would be assessed based on emissions, resource consumption, and product recyclability. Depending on their score, they’d face taxes starting at up to €5 per item in 2025—rising to €10 by 2030, or as much as half the item’s retail price, whichever comes first. The revenue from this tax would help fund France’s sustainable fashion sector, while the increased cost would fall on brands and potentially consumers if retail prices rise in response.

But that’s not all. France also plans to ban advertising for ultra-fast fashion—both influencer-led and traditional. Influencers promoting these brands could face penalties, a particularly sharp blow given how heavily brands like Shein and Temu rely on social media marketing to fuel sales.

So why is France taking these steps? According to the country’s environment agency Ademe, 35 clothing items are discarded every second in France alone. Waste Management further reports that globally, around 35% of primary microplastic pollution in the ocean stems from the fashion industry, largely from synthetic fibres like polyester, nylon and acrylic. Alarmingly, 87% of all textile fibre used for clothing is either landfilled or incinerated, with less than 1% recycled into new garments. And with global clothing consumption forecast to rise from 62 million tonnes per year today to 102 million tonnes by 2030, the problem is only accelerating.

The move, while praised as an important first step, has also drawn criticism for narrowly targeting just a few ultra-fast fashion brands, leaving other major fast fashion players largely unaddressed.

Still, it signals a shift. The EU is already introducing sustainability measures for fashion—including Digital Product Passports, a ban on destroying unsold stock, and stricter design requirements—though enforcement details remain unclear. It’s also uncertain whether the UK will adopt similar rules. That said, the UK has recently strengthened the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act. This gives it greater power to target misleading environmental claims—including greenwashing—in the fashion sector. Brands found guilty could face fines of up to 10% of their global annual turnover for deceiving consumers through vague terminology, misleading visuals, or omitting critical information.

In short, while the battle against ultra-fast fashion’s impact is far from over, France’s latest move is an undeniable step towards holding the industry more accountable.