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Guide

The EU AI Act in Italy: What Online Shops Must Disclose

AI Act

The EU Artificial Intelligence Act — Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 — applies directly in Italy as a Regulation, without needing an Italian transposition law. It entered into force on 1 August 2024 and applies in phases: prohibited AI practices from 2 February 2025, general-purpose AI model obligations from 2 August 2025, and most high-risk rules from 2 August 2026.

For an Italian online shop, the operative part is Article 50 — the transparency rules. This guide explains what an Italian-facing shop should disclose, why Italian-language disclosure matters, and how national enforcement is still being organised.

Shops are typically deployers

Most merchants use AI supplied by others: a chatbot, an image generator, a copywriting tool. A shop that uses such a system in its business is generally a deployer under the AI Act. Providers who build systems carry the heaviest duties, but Article 50 transparency obligations reach deployers directly.

The Article 50 duties

Disclose AI conversations

Where customers interact with an AI chatbot or voice assistant, they must be informed they are dealing with an AI system unless it is already obvious. A short notice at the start of the chat normally satisfies this.

Label AI-generated media

AI-generated or AI-manipulated images, audio and video should be marked as artificially generated. Deep fakes must be disclosed. Certain AI-generated text published to inform the public is also in scope, though an everyday product description is a different matter.

  • Chatbots and voice bots: disclose the AI interaction.
  • AI-generated imagery: label it clearly.
  • Deep fakes and synthetic audio or video: disclose.

Disclosure in Italian

Article 50 requires disclosures to be clear and distinguishable at the first interaction. Italian consumer law expects information aimed at Italian consumers to be provided in Italian. A transparency notice available only in English is therefore a poor fit for a shop trading into Italy.

Who enforces it in Italy?

Here the picture is qualitative. The AI Act requires Italy to designate national competent and market-surveillance authorities. Through 2025 and into 2026, Italy was still finalising which bodies would take these roles and how any accompanying national legislation would sit alongside the Regulation. Italy has strong existing regulators that are natural candidates, but you should treat the precise designation as still settling and check the current position when you need a name.

Checklist for an Italian shop

  • Map where AI touches customers across the storefront.
  • Add a clear Italian notice for any customer-facing chatbot.
  • Label AI-generated visuals and synthetic media.
  • Keep a note of which tools are AI and who supplies them.

For the broader framework, see our overview of the EU AI Act and the complete AI Act guide.

This article is educational, not legal advice.