China's NRTA draft would require an AI label on every microdrama episode
Article 34 of the 24 June draft requires a visible AI label on every episode, a stricter duty than Article 50(4) of the EU AI Act. Comments close 23 July.
What this basis means: Regulatory filing, government body, court or industry association.
The NRTA draft, Administrative Measures for the development and management of microdrama (微短剧发展管理办法), runs to eight chapters and 53 articles. It was published on 24 June 2026, the comment deadline is 23 July 2026, and the effective date in the text is still blank.
Article 2 defines microdrama as episodes of under 20 minutes. Article 5 sets a three-tier classification with filing and licensing regimes. Article 34 requires a visible AI label on every episode. Article 37 bars algorithms designed to induce addiction or spending. Article 40 requires clear disclosure of fees. Article 8 explicitly supports export-oriented microdrama.
The per-episode label is a Chinese requirement rather than a European one. It is stricter than Article 50(4) of the EU AI Act, which reaches only deep fakes and, inside fiction, applies only in limited form.
Tracked instrument EU AI Act, Article 50 (transparency obligations for AI-generated content), China, NRTA Order No. 16 — Measures for the Administration of Micro Short Drama Development (微短剧发展管理办法)
Sources
- 微短剧发展管理办法 (draft, 24 June 2026) NRTA
Correction
: The report described the per-episode AI label in Article 34 of China's draft measures as materially the same duty as Article 50(2) of the EU AI Act. The comparable EU duty for visible labels, Article 50(4), reaches only deep fakes and, inside fiction, applies only in limited form, so the Chinese label is stricter.