Meta is now labelling ads touched by third-party AI - and advertisers can't opt out

Meta's AI ad labels no longer stop at its own tools. Under an update to its ads transparency framework that began rolling out on 1 June, Meta is automatically detecting ads created or significantly edited with third-party generative AI - think Photoshop's generative fill or DALL-E - and applying an "AI info" label inside a new "About this ad" destination in every ad's three-dot menu.

The disclosure framework has a sharper visible tier: when Meta's generative AI ads tools produce a photorealistic AI-generated human, the AI label appears directly beside "Sponsored" - not behind the menu.

"About this ad" will also fold in existing ad transparency information, including advertiser payer and beneficiary details and "Paid for by" disclosures for social issue, election and political campaigns, Meta's director of monetisation policy Pedro Pavón wrote in the company's updated newsroom post. Meta notes the experience "may vary in certain regions due to legal requirements".

Why it matters for Australian advertisers: generative AI advertising is now standard practice in Australian creative workflows - and the detection net means brands no longer choose when the AI ads disclosure appears. Agencies should audit which creative in market was AI-assisted and brief clients before the label shows up in the wild. With consumer distrust of AI-generated ads rising through 2026, the smarter play is treating generative AI transparency as brand positioning rather than a compliance surprise.

The context: Meta began labelling ads made with its in-house generative AI creative features in 2024 and committed in February 2025 to extending labels to third-party tools. The June update delivers that commitment — and effectively makes AI ad labelling on Facebook and Instagram universal, whoever's tools you use. Secondary reporting by Social Media Today identifies C2PA metadata among the detection signals Meta is reading.

Sources: Meta Newsroom, "Expanding GenAI Transparency for Meta's Ads Products" (updated 1 June 2026) - about.fb.com; Social Media Today - socialmediatoday.com