China's Mandatory AI Content Labeling Era Begins: Rules in Force September 1, 2025
China's four-agency Measures for Labeling AI-Generated Content took effect, requiring explicit and implicit labels on all AI-generated text, images and video.
The Measures for Labeling AI-Generated and Synthetic Content — jointly issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China, MIIT, the Ministry of Public Security and the NRTA — took effect on September 1, 2025: all AI-generated text, images, audio and video must carry explicit labels (user-visible) and implicit labels (metadata watermarks).
It is the world's first fully implemented mandatory AI-content labeling regime: generation platforms, distribution platforms and app stores each carry obligations, and removing labels or offering label-stripping tools is a violation. WeChat, Douyin and others rolled out AI-content declaration features in step.
With deepfakes and AI rumors plaguing the globe, China's labeling regime — alongside the EU AI Act's transparency rules and U.S. state deepfake laws — forms one of three paradigm samples for global AI content governance.
This article aggregates official announcements and public reporting; original sources are linked below.
Source:国家网信办