Organisations are encouraged to commit to the Code of Practise on Transparency of AI-generated content

The transparency rules set out in article 50 of the Artificial Intelligence Acthttps://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1790431 (AI Act) came into effect on 2 August 2026. In collaboration with the relevant national authorities, the European Commission has begun monitoring compliance with these obligations, which are designed to enable citizens to recognise when they are interacting with AI systems or exposed to AI-generated or -manipulated content.

The rules aim to combat fraud, disinformation, manipulation and identity theft, while also strengthening public confidence in AI systems.

Amongst other obligations, providers of AI systems must inform individuals when they are interacting directly with an AI system, and they must also mark any artificially generated or manipulated content in a machine-readable format.

The Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-generated Content https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/code-practice-ai-generated-content contains a section on providers, another on the rules for marking and detecting AI-generated and manipulated content, and a further section on deployers, setting out rules for labelling deepfakes and AI-generated and manipulated text.

The Code is complemented by the Commission's Guidelines on article 50 of the AI Act. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/guidelines-ai-transparency-obligations These guidelines clarify concepts such as "provider" and "deployers" of AI systems, explain how the various obligations should be interpreted and provide practical examples of what is and is not covered by the Act's scope. The Guidelines also detail how providers and deployers of AI systems can demonstrate compliance, particularly by signing up to the Code of Practise on Transparency of AI-Generated Content.

The Code of Practise provides a common framework for complying with transparency rules in AI systems.

The Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-generated Content https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/pt/policies/code-practice-ai-generated-content is a voluntary tool that can be used to demonstrate compliance with the marking and labelling obligations set out in Article 50 of the AI Act.

The European Union provides three optional icons https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-icons-labelling-ai-generated-content, to indicate whether content has been generated entirely by AI, modified partially by AI, or produced with AI intervention. While using these icons does not replace the need to comply with legal obligations, it can help those responsible for implementation present the information in a clear and recognisable way.

Although signing up to the Code is voluntary, the transparency obligations set out in article 50 of the AI Act are binding. Providers and deployers of an AI system who do not sign up to the Code must demonstrate, through alternative means deemed equally appropriate, that they comply with the applicable requirements.

By the end of July 2026, around 190 organisations from sectors such as IT, telecom, education, and retail had signed up to one or both sections of the Code. The list of signatories https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/strong-backing-code-practice-transparency-ai-generated-content is publicly available and will be updated regularly as new signatories join.

If your company or organisation qualifies as a provider or deployer of AI systems, please consult the Code of Practise and consider signing up to it. This will give you access to a recognised framework across the European Union, helping you to demonstrate compliance with transparency obligations and offering greater predictability and reducing your administrative burden.

Please check the terms and conditions, instructions, and application form https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/how-sign-code-practice-transparency-ai-generated-content.