Getty Images will no longer accept photos of ‘retouched’ models

One of the world's biggest stock photo agencies is putting a stop to unrealistic female beauty standards.

Following years of backlash against the use of editing software in the media, Getty Images has announced that it is finally banning all images in which a model's body has been photoshopped.

Effective from October 1, 2017, contributors will no longer be able to submit “any creative content depicting models whose body shapes have been retouched to make them look thinner or larger.”

The move comes after the French government introduced a law which states that magazines must indicate when a photo of a model has been retouched. Failure to do so will result in a €37,500 fine.

However, while this is definitely a step in the right direction, it seems the company's new guidelines still allow for a certain amount of alteration.

An e-mail sent to contributors explained how “other changes made to models like a change of hair colour, nose shape, retouching of skin or blemishes, etc., are outside the scope of this new law, and are therefore still acceptable.”