EU releases AI content labelling guidance ahead of August deadline

The European Union has published a voluntary code of practice to help companies meet new AI content labelling rules under the EU AI Act. The guidance, released by the European Commission on June 10, outlines practical steps for providers and deployers of generative AI ahead of the law’s August 2, 2026 start date. The rules require two main types of disclosure. Deepfakes and AIgenerated or AImanipulated text on matters of public interest must be labelled, and users must also be told when they are interacting with an AI system such as a customer service bot. The Commission says the code is intended to make compliance easier, but the obligations themselves are mandatory regardless of whether a company signs it. The framework splits responsibilities between model builders, who are expected to add machinereadable markers, and companies deploying AI products, who handle visible labels for users. The code now remains open for signatures and still needs formal assessment by the Commission and the AI Board. Separate guidelines are expected to clarify parts of the law, while companies serving European users have less than two months to prepare for the new requirements.