TL;DR — Digital imprint and disclaimer rules for political video differ sharply between the UK, the US, the EU and elsewhere, and they apply based on factors like who published the content and whether it was paid promotion. This post gives a checklist for working out which rules might apply to your video, not a single universal answer.
- The UK, US and EU each take a different approach to digital imprints and disclaimers on political content — there is no single global rule.
- Whether a rule applies often depends on who is publishing, whether the content is paid promotion, and what it is used for.
- Check current guidance from the relevant regulator in each jurisdiction where the video will actually be seen, not just where your organisation is based.
- When in doubt, add a basic imprint anyway — it's rarely costly and can cover you where a specific rule does apply.
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This is general information, not legal advice. Rules on political data, campaign communications and digital imprints vary significantly by country and change over time — check current guidance from your national regulator/electoral authority and consult a qualified professional before relying on this for a live campaign.
Why there is no single answer here
Digital imprint and disclosure requirements for political communications are set at a national or sometimes sub-national level, and they differ in who they apply to, what counts as a regulated communication, and what the imprint needs to say. A video that needs an imprint under one country's rules might not need one at all under another's, even with identical content. The jurisdiction where your audience is located, not just where your organisation is based, is often the relevant factor.
A framing for the major jurisdictions
Rather than stating rules as fact, treat the following as pointers to check, since the specifics and thresholds change over time:
- UK: digital imprint requirements have applied to certain political and campaign material in recent years, with specific rules about what the imprint must show and who it applies to — check current guidance from the Electoral Commission for the detail.
- US: disclaimer requirements for political advertising are generally handled at the federal level for certain communications, with additional state-level rules that can vary — check current guidance from the Federal Election Commission and relevant state authority.
- EU: rules on political advertising transparency have been developing at the EU level alongside existing national rules in member states, and the two layers can both apply — check EUR-Lex and your national regulator.
- Elsewhere: many countries have their own electoral or communications authority with specific requirements — identify the right body for your jurisdiction before assuming a UK, US or EU rule maps across.
Where the rules might apply: a checklist
- Is this video paid promotion (a paid advert or boosted post) or unpaid organic content? Many rules target paid promotion specifically.
- Is the publisher a registered political party, candidate, PAC, or an unregistered campaign, NGO or individual? Obligations often differ by publisher type.
- Which country or countries will the audience actually be in, regardless of where your organisation is based?
- Is this close to an election period, where temporary or heightened rules sometimes apply?
- Does the platform you're publishing to (a social network, a video platform) have its own political-content disclosure rules layered on top of legal requirements?
A simple default if you're not sure
Adding a basic line identifying who produced and paid for the content costs little and can cover you in cases where a specific imprint rule does apply, even if you're not certain it does. This is a reasonable interim step while you confirm the specific requirement with a professional, not a substitute for checking.
How to do this in Whoosh
Keep a simple imprint text block ready to overlay or caption onto any reel before it goes into paid promotion, and review it per campaign rather than assuming the same wording applies everywhere the video is shown.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
Does a digital imprint apply to organic, unpaid social posts?
This varies by jurisdiction and by publisher type — some rules cover unpaid campaign material too, others focus only on paid promotion. Check current guidance for your specific situation.
If our organisation is based in one country but the audience is in another, whose rules apply?
Often the audience location matters as much as or more than where you're based, but this is exactly the kind of cross-border question worth raising with a professional rather than guessing.
Do platform rules (like a social network's own policy) replace legal imprint requirements?
No — platform rules and legal requirements are separate and can both apply at once; satisfying one doesn't mean you've satisfied the other.
How often do these rules change?
Often, particularly around election cycles — treat any guidance, including this post, as a starting point to verify rather than a fixed answer.