It’s Not “Work” if They’re Having Fun...Right?
The Application of B.C.’s Employment Standards Act to Child-Influencers
Abstract
Influencers are becoming more entrenched in popular culture every year. However, it is not just adults participating in this lucrative career. Children are also earning a substantial income from posting influencer-content on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. However, even though child-influencers are performing similar work, it is unlikely that the legal protections provided to child actors and performers apply to these “kidfluencers”. This article examines British Columbia’s employment standards legislation and whether its provisions apply to children earning money on social media. Based on this analysis, the article concludes that the statute’s application to child-influencers is unclear and inadequate and contends that more needs to be done to regulate this ballooning area ripe for child-exploitation.
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