AI ACT GUIDE
Updated 27 August 2026 · 6 min read
Tawk.to and Article 50: is an AI notice required?
A very common free chat. As soon as a bot or canned reply speaks, the visitor must know at once.
Tawk.to is common on small-business sites. A human operator does not require an “AI” notice. A bot, canned replies or an agent that runs without a human does: Article 50(1) asks for clear information when the chat opens.
The Tawk widget alone does not say whether it is AI. The site must write it, in the page language, next to the bubble — not only in a Tawk “privacy” link.
Record Tawk.to in the register (support use) and, if you show a notice, keep a log. The free tool does not provide that file.
Clairia detects embed.tawk.to on the homepage and looks for a visible notice. Help with compliance, not legal advice.
The path, in order
- 1
Scan the homepage
Paste the URL. In under a minute you see whether a known chatbot is present, and whether a notice is visible. With no chatbot there is no /100 score.
- 2
Show the notice next to the chat
One script line (w.js) sits on Crisp, Intercom, Tidio and known widgets. On Crisp, the sentence is also shown once in the conversation.
- 3
Re-scan the homepage
Clairia should appear in the findings. This is not a certification: it confirms the script is on the page.
- 4
Let the log run
Each page load with the script is dated. It is not proof that the chat was opened.
Frequent questions
- Who must show the notice: the site or the chat vendor?
- The visitor is talking to your site. The vendor (Crisp, Intercom, Tidio…) provides the tool. The site must inform, at the first interaction.
- Is a notice in the terms or legal notice enough?
- No. Too late and too easy to miss during the chat. Article 50 requires clear information at the latest at the first interaction.
- How do you prove the notice was shown?
- A useful file: a register (tool, vendor, use), a dated log of script loads, homepage scans. A /100 score is not proof.
General information, not legal advice.
Official reference: European Commission Article 50 guidelines ↗