Scroll a Chinese short-video feed now and you will notice small tags — "AI生成" (AI-generated), "疑似AI制作" (likely AI-made). They are not a platform's polite suggestion. A binding national rule put them there, and the platforms had to comply or risk being taken down.
For anyone publishing in China, the change is practical, not philosophical: synthetic content now carries a digital ID whether the creator likes it or not.
The rule that switched on
The Measures for Labeling of AI-Generated/Synthetic Content (《人工智能生成合成内容标识办法》) were issued jointly by the Cyberspace Administration of China (国家网信办, CAC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部, MIIT), the Ministry of Public Security (公安部) and the National Radio and Television Administration (国家广播电视总局, NRTA). Dated 7 March 2025 and released mid-month, they took effect on 1 September 2025.
Running alongside them is a mandatory national standard, the Information Security Technology — Labeling Method for AI-Generated/Synthetic Content (《网络安全技术 人工智能生成合成内容标识方法》), effective the same day. Together they turn "please label" into "you must."
Two kinds of label
The rule splits labeling into two:
- Explicit labels (显式标识) — ones a user can see: a text note such as "AI生成" at the start or end of an article, an icon on an image, a voice or on-screen prompt on audio and video.
- Hidden labels (隐式标识) — metadata written into the file itself, carrying an "AIGC" marker plus provider and trace information, so content can be traced even after it is downloaded or re-shared.
The point is coverage: a casual viewer sees the explicit tag, while platforms and regulators can read the hidden one.
Who has to do what
The measures assign duties across the chain:
- Providers must add explicit labels to generated outputs and embed hidden labels in file metadata; exports and downloads must keep the label.
- App stores and platforms must check at listing whether a service generates synthetic content and verify its labeling.
- Users who post AI content must declare it and use the provider's labeling function.
- No one may maliciously delete, alter, forge or hide these labels.
By 1 September, major platforms — Tencent (腾讯), Douyin (抖音), Kuaishou (快手) and Bilibili (哔哩哔哩) — had already published detailed rules and turned on metadata read/write.
Why it exists
The measures sit on top of earlier rules: the Interim Measures for Generative AI Services (《生成式人工智能服务管理暂行办法》), effective 15 August 2023, and the Provisions on Deep Synthesis (《互联网信息服务深度合成管理规定》), effective 10 January 2023. Those set the ground; the 2025 measures add the "how" of labeling. The stated aim is to blunt fake news, identity impersonation and the slow erosion of trust in what people see online.
What it cannot fix
Labeling is a flag, not a verdict. It depends on providers complying, and hidden metadata can be stripped by third-party tools; explicit tags can be ignored by viewers. Enforcement is strongest inside China's jurisdiction and weaker across borders, where a relabelled or re-exported file may lose its trace. And a label tells you how content was made, not whether it is true.
What readers can do now
- If you publish in China, label AI content and keep the metadata on export — major platforms now reject or downrank unlabeled synthetic posts.
- If you consume content, look for the explicit tag (显式标识); treat sensational clips with no label and no source with extra caution.
- If you build products, bake labeling into your export pipeline now. It is mandatory, not a nice-to-have.
Honest limitations
Core facts (the Measures' four issuing bodies — CAC, MIIT, Ministry of Public Security, NRTA; document date 7 March 2025; effective 1 September 2025; the companion mandatory national standard effective the same day; the explicit/implicit labeling framework; duties of providers, platforms and users; the 2023 Interim Measures and Deep Synthesis Provisions as prior bases; platform compliance by Tencent, Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili) come from gov.cn, cac.gov.cn, miit.gov.cn and Xinhua/news.cn. The effective date and issuing bodies are confirmed by both the official text and Xinhua. The rule applies within China's jurisdiction; cross-border enforcement is limited. No RMB amounts are stated. Analysis is current to 28 September 2026.