"On balance, the XFN recommends continuing the ban and erring on the side of protecting users from potential mental health impacts."

"Should we continue to prohibit the creation of Cosmetic Surgery Effects by Developers on Spark AR?" "Cosmetic Surgery Effects change the shape of a person's face or facial features in a way that would require cosmetic surgery in real life. Our ban on Cosmetic Surgery Effects was instituted in October following negative press coverage, questions from regulators, and growing concern from experts about the impact of such effects on user wellbeing and mental health. While robust, longitudinal studies of the impact of Cosmetic Surgery Effects are not available, and global wellbeing experts have expressed significant concerns to us about the impact of these effects on body dysmorphia and eating disorders. On the other hand, some users and AR creators would like to see the ban lifted, and none of our competitors have similar limitations. Although data is limited, the ban on Cosmetic Surgery Effects does not seem to have impacted key user engagement metrics, but it is possible that we will see impacts in the long run. On balance, the XFN recommends continuing the ban and erring on the side of protecting users from potential mental health impacts. The XFN proposes revisiting the issue in October on the one-year anniversary of the ban, when more data may be available." "Independent experts we consulted from around the world, including in the APAC region, generally agree that Cosmetic Surgery Effects raise significant concerns related to mental health and wellbeing, especially for teenage girls. That said, studies that provide robust, long term data on the effects of these filters do not yet exist and they likely will not be available before the potentially damaging impact to user wellbeing manifests." "The increasing use of face filters on social media leads to unrealistic beauty standards, mental health issues, and has been postulated to be related to a rise in plastic surgery, a phenomenon often referred to as 'Snapchat Dysmorphia'... Facebook and Instagram use is associated with body image issues and anxiety among users and particularly among women and teenage girls. Airbrushed and unrealistic images of women online can lead to eating disorders and body dysmorphia (a condition linked to eating disorders and depression). This is more prevalent among women and even more so prevalent among teenage and adolescent girls."