How to label AI-generated ads on every platform

Quick table: who requires what

General information, not legal advice. Policies change, so check each source before launch.

Meta: "AI info" and when it shows next to "Sponsored"

Meta announced in February 2025 that ads created or significantly edited with its own generative AI tools get an "AI info" label, and that when those tools generate a photorealistic human, the label appears next to "Sponsored" rather than behind the three-dot menu. In an update on June 1, 2026, Meta said it is rolling out "About this ad," a transparency panel in every ad's three-dot menu that includes those AI info labels, and that it will begin automatically detecting ads created or edited with third-party AI tools "through industry-standard signals" and label them there (Meta). Check current placement in Ads Manager before relying on it.

Practical reading: Meta applies most of these labels itself. Third parties report that Meta has started showing some advertisers an AI disclosure checkbox when they create an ad, mainly where AI transparency laws apply, but it is not available to everyone (Jon Loomer). If your ad features an AI actor and you run in New York or the EU, add your own on-screen line so you are covered regardless of what Meta detects.

TikTok: the AIGC toggle and your own disclaimer

TikTok's misleading and false content policy allows AI-generated content if you "apply the AIGC label, or [add] a clear disclaimer, caption, watermark, or sticker of your own." The warning is blunt: "If we identify AI-generated content that has not been disclosed, your ad will be rejected or restricted."

1. Build the ad in Ads Manager. In the ad creation step, check the toggle "This ad contains AI-generated content" (TikTok). After you submit, it cannot be changed unless you change the video, and duplicating a campaign resets it.
2. Know it is mandatory. TikTok lists AI-generated, synthetic or manipulated media as a mandatory disclaimer category (TikTok).
3. Check the preview. The disclaimer shows at the bottom of the in-feed video for the duration of the ad.
4. Spark or not, it works. Disclaimers can run on both Spark Ads and non-Spark Ads. If you do not see the toggle, TikTok says the feature may not be available to every account, so add your own clear on-screen disclaimer instead.

Also on TikTok: never use a public figure's likeness without permission. False endorsements are explicitly prohibited. More in our AI UGC TikTok ads guide.

YouTube and Google Ads: synthetic content and July 2026 labels

YouTube requires creators to disclose realistic altered or synthetic content when they upload. Minor, mostly aesthetic edits are exempt, and for photorealistic content a label may also appear on the video player (YouTube Help). That rule targets channel uploads, so it matters if you post AI UGC organically.

Google Ads handles paid placements. Its July 2026 update lets advertisers add text or visual AI labels inside image and video creatives, or use a new AI label setting. Google cites EU, India and New York rules that "require that ads with certain AI-generated or edited assets include disclosures and/or labels," and warns that using the setting "doesn't guarantee compliance" (Google Ads policy). Google also says these labels are exempt from its text overlay and watermark policies, so an in-video line will not trigger a separate violation.

New York and the EU: when the law requires a label

New York GBL 396-b, effective June 9, 2026, covers ads using a "synthetic performer": a generated asset that gives the impression of a human performance by someone not recognizable as an identifiable person. That describes a typical stock AI actor. The advertiser must "conspicuously disclose" it where it has actual knowledge. Penalties are $1,000 for a first violation and $5,000 for each later one. Audio-only ads and AI used only for translation are exempt (Cooley).

EU AI Act Article 50(4) deepfake disclosure duties apply from August 2, 2026. Baker McKenzie notes the transitional period in the AI Omnibus agreement for machine-readable marking does not extend to the deepfake disclosure obligations (Baker McKenzie).

For the full legal picture, including FTC testimonial rules, read is AI UGC legal.

What counts as "significant" AI edits

TikTok gives the clearest line, and it is a good default everywhere:

An AI actor ad sits firmly in the left column. TikTok's advice when unsure is to use caution and label.

Does a label hurt performance?

We found no published platform data showing that an AI label lowers results. What is known: in Smartly's 2025 consumer research, just 13% said they trust ads created entirely by AI, while 48% trust ads co-created by a person with AI support (Smartly). And an undisclosed AI ad on TikTok can be rejected or restricted, which costs far more than any label.

The label is a rounding error. A rejected ad is zero delivery.

The fix for trust is relevance: a sharp hook, a real benefit and an honest demo. Test labeled AI ads against each other, not against the risk of skipping the label. See do AI UGC Ads work.

Copy-paste disclosure wording

Keep it short, on screen and readable. Pick one:

• "AI-generated video"
• "Created with AI. Actor is not a real person."
• "This ad features an AI-generated performer."
• "AI actor. Product and claims are real."

Place it inside the safe area, away from the caption and CTA, and leave it up long enough to read. Pair it with the platform toggle where one exists.

Two things a label does not fix. First, a fake testimonial: the FTC bans reviews that misrepresent that they are by someone who does not exist, and "AI-generated" in the corner does not turn an invented customer story into a true one. Second, an unsupported claim: if the product cannot back it up, the label is irrelevant.

Make compliant AI ads with EchoUGC

EchoUGC makes the ad; you keep control of how it is labeled and where it runs.

1. Brief in one line. EchoUGC writes the script and casts an AI actor with native lip-sync.
2. Keep claims honest. Use angles like problem and fix or myth-busting, not fake reviews.
3. Download the 1080p 9:16 file. Burned-in captions are included, and the video is ready in minutes. EchoUGC adds no AI label of its own, so the next step is yours.
4. Add your disclosure. Turn on TikTok's AIGC disclaimer, use Google's AI label setting, and add an on-screen line in your editor for New York and EU audiences.

At about $9 to $12 per finished video versus $150 to $1,200 for creator UGC (Influee, JoinBrands), a short label is a small price for that saving. Start with the $11 first week.

Frequently asked questions