The number of French women doing beach topless has reached the lowest level in the last 40 years, as there is now a fear that they may be photographed secretly and their image may be posted on social media.
Topless beach has become less popular in recent years, with only 19 percent of women saying they practice it, compared to 34 percent in 2009 and 40 percent in 1984.
The Ifop poll showed that French women are becoming increasingly wary of going topless due to health concerns, fears of sexual harassment and privacy reasons, reports Le Parisien.
Topless sunlight in France is not legally considered a sexual exposure, although it may be banned by local directives that outlaw some clothing styles.
Topless beach originally spread to France in the 1960s, as feminism that encompassed Europe and women at the time demanded the same right to tan the upper body as men.
Today, women’s right to sunbathe nude on beaches is seen as a sign of equality between the two sexes, and a sign of France’s progressive attitudes.
