How Major Marketplaces Handle AI Listings
We reviewed the published policies of 73 major marketplaces to see where the industry actually stands on AI-generated and AI-enhanced listings.
Online marketplaces are being flooded by a tsunami of AI slop due to AI-generated and AI-enhanced content. But "AI slop" doesn't capture the full picture of what platforms are grappling with. There's definitely high volume, low quality content, but they're also facing usage of AI that's intentionally deceptive and misleading on listings as well – from deceptive product imagery to intellectual property theft. So what exactly are marketplaces doing about this? And what are the new rules of the game?
We reviewed the published policies for 73 major marketplaces – across digital goods, physical goods, travel, and advertising – to see how these platforms are handling AI content for listings on their platform.
Are marketplaces updating their policies for AI?
| Measure | All (73) | Digital (39) | Physical (23) | Travel (6) | Ads (5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mentions AI (or related terms) | 71% | 90% | 35% | 67% | 100% |
| Restricts AI usage | 55% | 77% | 17% | 67% | 40% |
| States a penalty for prohibited AI or authenticity rules | 42% | 41% | 39% | 33% | 80% |
Source: SafetyKit marketplace policy review, November 2026.
Digital marketplaces are the most active: 90% mention AI in policy and 77% restrict it in some form. That tracks with what they sell — on a digital marketplace the product itself can be AI-generated, not just the image of it. Physical goods marketplaces sit at the other end of the spectrum: 35% mention AI at all, and 17% restrict it.
Penalties are the exception to that pattern. Digital and physical goods marketplaces state consequences at almost the same rate — 41% and 39%.
Example policies
We require you to inform us of AI-generated content (text, images, or translations) when you publish a new book or make edits to and republish an existing book through KDP. You are not required to disclose AI-assisted content.
You are responsible for verifying that all AI-generated and/or AI-assisted content adheres to all content guidelines, including by complying with all applicable intellectual property rights.
Zillow's content standards require that listing photos accurately represent the home. Most content comes to us through MLS feeds, so agents and brokers carry front-line responsibility for accuracy.
Zillow supports clear disclosure when AI is used to materially alter a listing image and, where possible, believes consumers should be able to view the original content alongside the altered version.
How marketplaces restrict AI on their platforms
| AI restrictions | All (40) | Digital (30) | Physical (4) | Travel (4) | Ads (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policy explicitly restricts AI | 48% | 60% | 0% | 25% | 0% |
| Policy names an outcome AI can cause | 52% | 40% | 100% | 75% | 100% |
Source: SafetyKit marketplace policy review, November 2026.
Explicit AI restrictions appear almost exclusively on digital goods marketplaces. Tripadvisor was the only non-digital platform with them, and its restrictions cover reviews on its platform rather than its travel marketplace.
All other types of platforms focused on restricting specific outcomes – treating AI as a potential contributing factor, but not limiting it by default.
Seller declarations and buyer visibility
| Labels and visibility | All (73) | Digital (39) | Physical (23) | Travel (6) | Ads (5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requires seller to declare AI usage | 26% | 36% | 13% | 0% | 40% |
| Displays an AI label to the buyer | 29% | 36% | 17% | 0% | 60% |
Source: SafetyKit marketplace policy review, November 2026.
Many digital platforms require sellers to declare if there is any usage of AI (36%), while this is less prevalent for other types of platforms.
Digital marketplaces are also more likely to display some type of label (or equivalent) to buyers about the usage of AI – with 36% of digital marketplaces compared to 17% of physical marketplaces.
However, seller declarations and buyer-visible labels don't always exist in tandem. Several platforms don't require seller declarations but use their own internal detection of AI-usage to apply buyer-facing labels.
What are regulators doing about all of this?
Of the marketplaces whose AI policies list a date, roughly two thirds were written or updated in 2026. The rest are not necessarily behind — many have existing authenticity and accuracy rules that already reach AI without explicitly naming it. However, the regulatory landscape is moving quickly.
- NY Synthetic Performer Disclosure Law (in effect since June 9, 2026) — Advertisers must conspicuously disclose when an ad they produce features a "synthetic performer", where they have actual knowledge one is present. Penalties are $1,000 for a first violation and $5,000 for each one after.
- EU AI Act (in effect since August 2, 2026) — Providers of generative AI systems must mark synthetic output in a machine-readable format, and anyone deploying it must disclose deepfakes. It regulates AI systems rather than marketplaces, but it is what pushes machine-readable provenance into the tools sellers are already using.
- California SB 1050 (effective January 1, 2027) — Any ad that prominently features a synthetic performer needs a clear and conspicuous disclosure. The duty reaches the "advertising mediums" that distribute the ad to California consumers, not just whoever created it.
None of these regulations govern marketplace listings directly, but they’re setting the overall direction. Marketplaces will ultimately need to keep adapting their AI policies and enforcement on two fronts: protecting their platforms and buyers from AI-driven abuse, and keeping up with new regulatory requirements.
But writing policies is only the first challenge. The harder part is enforcing it across thousands or millions of listings, where the line between an acceptable AI-enhanced photo and a deceptive one can be subtle and difficult to detect at scale. SafetyKit helps marketplaces close this gap to protect the integrity of their platform. SafetyKit's decision models review every listing against a platform’s own policies to catch and stop deceptive and misleading AI content, so marketplaces can protect their buyers without shutting out sellers.
