Google joins EU AI Act transparency code, expands SynthID partnership
Google has signed the EU Code of Practice on transparency for AI-generated content and is expanding its SynthID collaboration with five AI partners, including Apple and OpenAI.
What happened?
On 24 July 2026, Google announced it has formally signed the EU AI Act Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content. This represents a commitment to follow technical standards and labelling requirements for identifying AI-generated text, images, audio, and video within Europe. The obligations, established in Article 50 of the EU AI Act, include machine-detectable marking of AI-generated content and clear labelling of deepfakes and AI-generated text publications on matters of public interest. Article 50 becomes applicable on 2 August 2026.
Key facts
| Datum för undertecknande | 24 juli 2026 |
|---|---|
| Partners för SynthID-expansion | Apple, ElevenLabs, Kakao, NVIDIA, OpenAI |
| Artikel 50 tillämplig från | 2 augusti 2026 |
| SynthID lanserades | 2025 (vid Google I/O) |
”Google announced on July 24, 2026 that it has formally signed the European Union’s AI Act Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content, committing the company to a set of technical and labelling standards that will govern how AI-produced text, images, audio and video”
”Google is signing the EU AI Act Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content.”
”The Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content helps providers and deployers of generative AI systems comply with the AI Act’s obligations for labelling and marking of AI-generated content.”
Why it matters
The commitment aims to enhance transparency and combat the spread of misleading or manipulated AI-generated content. By implementing uniform labelling standards, users are better equipped to distinguish between human-created and AI-generated material, which is crucial for maintaining trust in digital information. The collaboration with prominent AI actors regarding SynthID strengthens its role as an industry standard and facilitates wider adoption of watermarking technology.
Who is affected?
This primarily affects technology companies developing generative AI systems, particularly those operating within the EU. Users of AI services will encounter clearer labelling of AI-generated content. Partners such as Apple, ElevenLabs, Kakao, NVIDIA, and OpenAI are directly affected as they expand the use of Google's SynthID.
Impact on the EU
Google has formally signed the EU Code of Practice, representing a direct application of the AI Act's transparency regulations within the EU. Article 50 of the AI Act, supported by the Code of Practice, enters into force on 2 August 2026. This code has been assessed by the European Commission as sufficient to fulfil the obligations set out in the AI Act.
What else you should know
The European Commission has confirmed that the Code of Practice fully covers the requirements set out in Article 50(2), (4), and (5) of the AI Act, providing clear guidance for compliance. In addition to SynthID for media, Google has also announced new AI labels for advertisements.
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