Measures for Labelling AI-Generated and Synthetic Content

Applies To

Overview

Issued jointly by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardisation Administration of China, these Measures establish a comprehensive technical and procedural framework for identifying AI-generated and synthetic content across digital platforms. The regulation covers all forms of AI-generated output including text, images, audio, video, and immersive or VR-based content made available to users within China. Key provisions require content producers and platform operators to embed machine-readable labels using prescribed technical methods, including audio-layer Morse code signals, encrypted metadata watermarks, and VR-specific labelling protocols, so that both automated systems and users can identify AI-origin content. Platforms operating in China must also deploy detection mechanisms capable of identifying unlabelled AI-generated content and preventing its distribution without proper attribution. Enforcement falls under the State Administration for Market Regulation, which holds authority to investigate violations, issue corrective orders, and impose administrative penalties. The Measures take effect in September 2025, giving enterprises a defined compliance window from the March 2025 publication date.

Key Requirements

• •Apply standardized labels to all AI-generated or AI-synthesized content before distribution to users in China, covering text, image, audio, video, and VR formats.
• •Embed technical labelling using prescribed methods including audio Morse code watermarks, encrypted metadata, and VR-compatible labelling systems.
• •Deploy platform-level detection mechanisms to identify and intercept AI-generated content that lacks required labels prior to publication or distribution.
• •Maintain records of labelling compliance sufficient to demonstrate conformity to regulators upon request.
• •Comply with all requirements by the effective date of September 2025; no phased implementation exemptions are specified for large platforms.
• •Violations are subject to administrative investigation and penalties issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation.

What Your Organization Must Do

• →Audit all content pipelines to identify every point at which AI-generated or AI-synthesized content is created, edited, or distributed to users in China.
• →Implement the prescribed technical labelling methods (audio Morse code, encrypted metadata, VR labelling) across relevant content production and publishing systems before September 2025.
• →Procure or develop automated detection tooling capable of scanning content for missing or malformed AI labels before publication on China-facing platforms.
• →Update contracts with third-party AI content vendors and API providers to require delivery of pre-labelled content or technical metadata sufficient to apply labels downstream.
• →Establish internal record-keeping procedures to log labelling actions for each content type and retain evidence available for regulatory inspection.
• →Assign a designated compliance lead responsible for coordinating technical and legal teams across the September 2025 implementation deadline.