Navigate AI labeling regulations

This article outlines Google publisher products’ approach to regional AI labeling regulations and provides publishers with the infrastructure to navigate their compliance obligations across Google Ad Manager, AdMob, and AdSense.

Regulatory compliance requirements

As the global regulatory landscape for AI-generated content continues to evolve, new requirements are being introduced across various regions—such as the European Union AI Act, New York Senate Bill S8420A, and India’s SGI (Synthetically Generated Information). These laws generally require certain AI-generated or edited content to be labeled, among other things.

Google publisher product approach

Publishers should collaborate directly with their buying partners and their legal teams where necessary to confirm appropriate disclosures in creative content.

The table below summarizes disclosure status for different products and demand types:

Source of ads / formats	Relevant products	Disclosure status
Google demand (Google Ads / Display & Video 360)	Ad Manager, AdSense, AdMob	Google buying platforms will offer assistive tools to help advertisers to add appropriate AI labels to creatives.
Third-party programmatic demand (Authorized Buyers, Open Bidding, SDK Bidding)	Ad Manager, AdSense, AdMob	Publishers should work with their third-party buying partners to understand their plans for compliance related to AI disclosures.
Ads trafficked directly by the publisher (e.g. reservations, house ads, ads via header bidding, etc)	Ad Manager, AdMob	Publishers should ensure that the creatives they traffic contain appropriate AI disclosures from their buying and creative partners.

Guidance for specific ad formats

Display ads

Creative vendors and buyers have a variety of mechanisms to update creative JavaScript to include AI disclosures when the creative renders. Alternatively, display creative providers may choose to alter a display creative file directly to include appropriate disclosures.

Video ads

Creative vendors and buyers can add a VAST <icons> element in VAST XML to support rendering appropriate AI disclosures and click through and, when present, the IMA SDK will handle the corresponding rendering and click through behavior automatically. Publishers who do not use the IMA SDK, and instead use a solution such as Publisher Authenticated Inventory (PAI) or Programmatic Access Library (PAL), will need to manually implement support for VAST <icons> rendering and click through.

Alternatively, video creative providers may choose to alter a video file directly to include appropriate disclosures.

Native ads and custom badging

Google’s OpenRTB implementation supports a "privacy" field that supports a "link to an ad preferences or opt-out page." Third-party demand can choose the landing page for this link, and it may contain additional AI disclosures.

Note: For select publishers that are allow-listed for custom ad transparency and badging, they should work with their account teams for best practices on how to update disclosures for compliance with AI regulations. Google demand will not automatically include disclosures in this case, and will instead pass a field in the ad response to publishers notifying them that the native ad may include AI-generated content.

Third-party programmatic demand (Authorized Buyers, Open Bidding, SDK Bidding)

Third-party buyers are responsible for determining their compliance obligations and ensuring that their ad creatives contain appropriate disclosures. Google publisher products do not provide automated labeling for third-party creatives. Publishers should contact their account manager if they have questions about best practices and technical options for compliance.

Next steps

Work with your compliance teams to decide on the best strategy for your business.

Note: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult your own legal counsel to determine your compliance obligations under the applicable laws.

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