Khaberni - France experiences a new controversy over the responsibility of influencers on social media, after the Paris court issued a judicial ruling against internet star Maeva Ghannam, mandating her imprisonment for one year with a suspended sentence and a fine of 150,000 euros.
The verdict came after her conviction on charges related to misleading commercial practices and false advertising, sparking a broad debate in legal and media circles about the controls on advertising on digital platforms and the role of influencers in protecting consumers from marketing deceit.
The case, which captured public attention, reflects the escalating campaign by French authorities against advertising chaos on digital platforms, amidst demands for stricter oversight of an industry that crosses the boundaries of fame to economic impact and social behavior.
The Paris court issued a ruling imprisoning the blogger and French influencer Maeva Ghannam (28 years old) on Friday, for one year with a suspended sentence and a fine of 150,000 euros, after convicting her in cases of misleading commercial practices and false advertising on social media, between 2019 and 2023.
Ghannam, who is followed by more than 3 million people on social media and previously appeared on the reality TV show "Les Marseillais," was charged with 12 offenses related to publishing unauthorized advertising content containing false claims about cosmetic, slimming, and financial trading products, without disclosing that they were paid advertisements.
Details of the exciting session
According to the French newspaper "Le Parisien" which followed the case, the session began with evident tension as Ghannam’s lawyer, Eliacin Maalawi, tried to postpone the trial on the grounds that his client had not received an official summons, but the court rejected the request and decided to proceed with the trial.
The court convicted Ghannam of charges relating to deceptive commercial practices, including promoting creams for enlarging the buttocks and breasts as a safe alternative to cosmetic surgery, and advertising a "slimming tea" claiming to lose 7 kilograms in 20 days, in addition to promoting confections claiming to stimulate hair growth — all described by the anti-fraud authority as "illegal and misleading."
"She underestimates the law"
During the session, an investigator described Ghannam’s behavior as "a template for all violations that an internet influencer can commit," adding: "From health to money to cosmetics, she promotes everything, always responding with the same sentence: I forgot to mention that it was an advertisement."
The investigations indicated that Ghannam promoted cosmetic services such as teeth whitening and micro-needling treatments, even though these procedures are only allowed to be practiced by doctors.
Justifications and excuses
In her defense during the investigation, the influencer admitted that she "exaggerated a bit in presenting some products," claiming she did not realize the seriousness of the misleading advertisements.
She said she was promoting trading platforms claiming to earn her 1,200 euros per day, even though she hadn't invested any amount at all.
Reports indicate that Ghannam earns about 60,000 euros per month from her online business activities, making her one of the most prominent faces in the world of "disguised advertising" on social networks.
Stricter control over influencers
This conviction came months after a similar ruling against influencer Rim Renom in July, sentencing her to a year with a suspended sentence in a similar case, as part of a French judicial campaign targeting the reduction of commercial abuses by internet celebrities, especially those who started from reality TV shows.
The French authorities have intensified their monitoring of advertising content on social networks in recent years, following the increase in scandals related to promoting cosmetic surgery and fake products.
Repeated scandals
This is not the first time Ghannam has stirred controversy; in 2021, she posted a video from inside a women's clinic where she talked about undergoing an intimate cosmetic session "to rejuvenate the vagina," which sparked a storm of criticism prompting her to issue a public apology.
Defense and insistence on appeal
Her lawyer considered the judgment "unfair and excessive," asserting that the defense "was not given sufficient opportunity to present its arguments," indicating that he would file an official appeal against the judgment.
With this ruling, the French judiciary sends a stern message to influencers who treat electronic advertising rules lightly, confirming that misleading promotion is no longer treated as a digital slip but as a full-fledged economic crime.
This step is part of an increasing European trend to regulate the sphere of influencers and protect consumers from camouflaged promotional content that blurs marketing with manipulation.
