Date: July 24, 2026
Main source: Google
Link: https://blog.google/company-news/outreach-and-initiatives/public-policy/eu-ai-act-transparency-code-of-practice/
Supplementary sources: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-publishes-guidelines-transparency-obligations-providers-and-deployers-certain-ai-systems
Reference image: https://blog.google/company-news/outreach-and-initiatives/public-policy/eu-ai-act-transparency-code-of-practice/
Summary
Google announced it will sign the Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content tied to the European AI Act. The company linked its commitment to the use of SynthID, C2PA and interoperable tools to identify content created or modified by artificial intelligence. The European Commission also published guidelines for providers and users of systems subject to transparency obligations. Part of these rules will start to apply on August 2, 2026.
Why it matters
Labeling AI-generated content is moving from an ethical recommendation to an operational obligation. Agencies, platforms and brands will have to keep evidence of how synthetic images, audio and video are produced and published.
Practical implications
- Add a source and generation method field to content workflows.
- Keep records of the model, date, human editor and edits applied.
- Review campaigns with synthetic content before publishing them in European markets.
What to watch
The technical implementation of machine-readable marks, penalties for noncompliance, and whether other jurisdictions adopt similar rules.