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The EU Started Enforcing AI Transparency Rules This Month — Here's What Changed

Since August 2, chatbots operating in the EU must disclose they're AI, and AI-generated images, audio and video need machine-readable labels. Broader rulebook fines can reach €35 million or 7% of global turnover.

Meridians Tech Desk

Published 26 August 2026 · Updated 26 August 2026 · 4 min read

The EU Started Enforcing AI Transparency Rules This Month — Here's What ChangedAI
Photo: Photo by Google DeepMind / Pexels (Pexels License — free to use, no attribution legally required (credited above as good practice).)

The short answer

  • EU AI Act transparency obligations began applying August 2, 2026: chatbots must disclose they are AI, and AI-generated or altered media needs machine-readable marks.
  • The European Commission's AI Office and national authorities are responsible for enforcement.
  • Maximum fines under the AI Act's penalty framework range from €7.5 million/1% of global turnover up to €35 million/7%, depending on the violation.
  • Small and medium enterprises face the lower of the euro figure or percentage figure in each tier.

Since August 2, 2026, a new set of transparency obligations under the EU AI Act has been in force, and the European Commission says it is now actively enforcing them alongside national authorities.

What has to change

  • Chatbots and other interactive AI systems must tell users they are dealing with AI, not a human.
  • Deepfakes — images, video or audio edited or generated using AI — must be labeled as such.
  • AI-generated or altered content must carry machine-readable marks so it can be detected automatically.

Who enforces it

The Commission's AI Office, working with national authorities in each member state, is responsible for enforcing these rules. The stated goal, per the Commission, is to reduce deception and manipulation and help people recognize when they're interacting with or viewing AI-generated material.

What non-compliance can cost

The AI Act's penalty framework, set out in Article 99, applies tiered maximum fines depending on the type of violation:

  • Prohibited AI practices (Article 5): up to €35 million or 7% of global annual turnover, whichever is higher.
  • Other obligations, including the transparency rules under Article 50: up to €15 million or 3% of global turnover.
  • Supplying incorrect or misleading information to regulators: up to €7.5 million or 1% of global turnover.

For small and medium-sized companies and startups, each tier caps at whichever of the euro figure or percentage figure is lower, rather than higher.

Sources

Every factual claim above is traceable to these documents. Check them — that is why they are here.

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Meridians Tech Desk is an editorial desk at Meridians, not an individual. A desk byline means the article was produced and fact-checked to that desk's published standards. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.

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