AI Act Omnibus: New Deadlines, New Bans – What Changed on May 7, 2026

On May 7, 2026, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a political agreement on the so-called "AI Act Omnibus" package. These changes affect key deadlines and obligations of the EU AI Act and represent the most significant regulatory development since the AI Act was adopted.

In this article, we explain what specifically changes, what stays the same – and what it means for website operators.

Key Changes at a Glance

⏰ New Deadlines

Obligation	Old Deadline	New Deadline
Art. 50 Transparency (general)	August 2, 2026	August 2, 2026 (unchanged!)
Watermarking & Content Labeling	August 2, 2026	December 2, 2026
High-Risk AI (Annex III)	August 2, 2026	December 2, 2027
High-Risk AI (Annex I, Products)	August 2, 2026	August 2, 2028
Regulatory Sandboxes	August 2, 2026	August 2, 2027

🚫 New Ban: "Nudifier" Apps

The Omnibus package introduces a new prohibition: AI systems that generate non-consensual sexually explicit content or CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) are banned from December 2, 2026. This is a direct response to the growing spread of so-called "nudifier" apps.

What This Means for Website Operators

The Good News

For existing AI systems that were on the market before August 2, 2026, there is a transition period until December 2, 2026 for implementing watermarking and content labeling. This gives companies an additional 4 months.

The Important News

General transparency obligations under Art. 50 remain at August 2, 2026! This includes:

• Chatbot disclosure: Users must know they are interacting with AI
• Deepfake disclosure: Manipulated content must be disclosed
• Emotion recognition: Users must be informed

For website operators publishing AI-generated content, the core obligation is unchanged: From August 2026, your users must be able to identify which content is AI-generated.

New Systems: Immediately Compliant

Important: The transition period only applies to existing systems. Any AI system placed on the market from August 2, 2026 must comply immediately with all requirements – including watermarking and technical labeling.

Code of Practice: Technical Guidance Coming

Alongside the Omnibus package, the EU Commission published the draft Guidelines for Art. 50 on May 8, 2026. Public consultation runs until June 3, 2026. Additionally, a voluntary Code of Practice for AI content labeling is being developed, expected to be finalized in June 2026.

The Code of Practice recommends a multi-layered approach:

• Visible labels: Unified "AI" icon for users
• Machine-readable metadata: Schema.org / IPTC / C2PA standards
• Invisible watermarks: Technical signals in images, audio, and video
• Mark preservation: Watermarks must not be removable

Why You Should Still Act NOW

The deadline extension sounds tempting – but there are three good reasons not to wait:

1. August 2026 Still Applies The general transparency obligations have not been postponed. If you publish AI content today, you must be transparent from August 2026.

2. Fines Are Substantial Violations of Art. 50 can result in fines of up to €15 million or 3% of global annual turnover.

3. Compliance Takes Time Audit logs, internal processes, and employee training cannot be implemented overnight. Start now, and you will have solid compliance documentation by August 2026.

How AIActify Prepares You

AIActify already covers all requirements becoming mandatory on both August 2 and December 2, 2026:

• ✅ Visible labels – compliant with the upcoming EU AI icon
• ✅ Schema.org metadata – machine-readable for crawlers and authorities
• ✅ Immutable audit logs – legally valid proof from day one
• ✅ Script auditor – detects prohibited AI practices (Art. 5)
• ✅ Visual editor – label AI content with a click, no code required

One script tag, 2-minute setup – and you are on the safe side.

Start free now →

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Sources: EU Council – AI Omnibus Political Agreement, Latham & Watkins, Taylor Wessing, JD Supra, White & Case