When AI-generated text must be disclosed
Only text published to inform the public on matters of public interest triggers a disclosure obligation, and only where there has been no human editorial review. Marketing copy and product descriptions are not covered by this provision.
What the law requires
The obligation is narrower than most coverage suggests. It applies to text published with the purpose of informing the public on matters of public interest — news and current-affairs style content, not everything on a website.
It falls away where the AI-generated content has undergone human review or editorial control and a natural or legal person holds editorial responsibility for the publication. A newsroom that edits and stands behind AI-drafted copy is in a different position from a site auto-publishing generated articles.
Product pages, landing pages, marketing copy and documentation are outside this specific provision — which does not make them a good place for undisclosed AI content commercially, only that Art. 50(4) is not the reason.
What our scanner looks for
- Publisher-like pages — news sections, blogs, editorial content — rather than the whole site.
- Whether AI-authorship disclosure appears near the content, in a byline, or in an editorial policy.
- Signals of automated publication at scale, which raises the question of whether human editorial review is present.
How to fix it
- 1Where AI drafts news-style content, publish an AI-use editorial policy and link it from your articles.
- 2Add a byline that reflects reality: "Drafted with AI, edited by [name]" is both accurate and establishes the editorial responsibility that lifts the obligation.
- 3Decide and record who holds editorial responsibility for AI-assisted output. That decision is what the exemption turns on.
Deadlines and penalties
Enforceable since 2 August 2026. Scope is genuinely narrow, so a finding here is usually a prompt to check editorial process rather than evidence of a breach.
Free, no account needed. We'll show you every page where this applies, with the evidence.
Common questions
Is our AI-written blog covered?
It depends what it is for. Content marketing about your own product is not "informing the public on matters of public interest". A blog covering industry news, regulation or current events moves closer to the line.
Does human editing remove the obligation?
Human review plus a person or organisation holding editorial responsibility for the publication is what the exemption requires. Both parts matter — a quick skim with nobody accountable is not editorial control.
Related
This page describes technical indicators and the obligations they relate to. It is not legal advice. A website scan detects indicators, not legal compliance — which is why our reports say “no issues detected” and never “compliant”.