FAQ

What does Compads do?

Compads lets you search any advertiser and pull their live ads from the Meta Ad Library and Google Ads Transparency Center into one feed. On top of that, it flags the AI-generated creative and synthetic performers in those ads, scored by confidence — including ads that run them without the disclosure New York now requires.

What is a synthetic performer?

A synthetic performer is a human likeness created or substantially altered using AI or digital technology. This includes fully AI-generated faces and voices, and real people whose appearance or voice has been digitally altered to say or do things they did not actually do.

What does NY S.8420-A require?

NY S.8420-A, effective June 9, 2026, requires any advertisement that uses a synthetic performer to include a clear and conspicuous disclosure. The disclosure must appear on-screen for video and audio for audio-only ads. The law covers ads distributed to audiences in New York.

Who must comply?

Any advertiser whose ads reach New York audiences must comply if those ads use synthetic performers. There is no minimum spend threshold or company size exemption. The law applies to brands, agencies, and platforms that place the ads.

What are the penalties?

The New York Attorney General may seek civil penalties of $1,000 per violation and $5,000 per repeat violation. Each individual ad missing a required disclosure is a separate violation.

How does Compads detect AI performers?

Compads pulls active creatives from the Meta Ad Library (live) and is rolling out Google Ads Transparency Center ingestion. It runs each creative through a computer vision and audio classifier to identify likely synthetic performers. Each result includes a confidence score. Detection is probabilistic: results may include false positives and false negatives. You should review flagged ads before acting on them.

Is using Compads legal?

Yes. Compads reads from public ad transparency archives that Meta and Google maintain to comply with their own disclosure obligations. The tool does not access private data or bypass any authentication.

Who files the complaint?

It depends on your plan. On Free and Pro, Compads generates the complaint text and you submit it yourself on the official NY Attorney General form — you review it, open the form, and file. On Pro Auto, you authorize each complaint individually and Social Intelligence Labs staff submit it to the AG on your behalf. Either way, you are the complainant of record and the responsible party; Social Intelligence Labs provides the tool and, on Pro Auto, a submission service, but is not itself a party to any complaint.

Isn't filing with the Attorney General free?

Yes. Anyone can file a consumer complaint with the New York Attorney General for free at ag.ny.gov, and you never need Compads to do it. What Compads charges for is the work around the filing: continuously monitoring advertisers, running AI-detection on their creatives, packaging the evidence into a filing-ready complaint, and — on Pro Auto — submitting it for you. You are always free to take the generated complaint and file it yourself at no cost.

Does the exemption for films, TV, and games apply?

Yes. NY S.8420-A does not apply to advertisements or promotions for expressive works, including films, television programs, and video games, when the synthetic performer use is consistent with the work being promoted. Do not file against promotions that fall within this exemption.

What data sources does Compads use?

Compads currently ingests from the Meta Ad Library (live). Google Ads Transparency Center ingestion is rolling out. Both are public, advertiser-maintained archives. We do not scrape private pages or authenticated content.

Can I sue an advertiser, or do I get a bounty for filing?

No. NY S.8420-A is enforced only by the New York Attorney General. There is no private right of action, meaning you cannot sue an advertiser yourself under this law. There is also no bounty or financial reward for filers. When you file a complaint, you are prompting the AG to investigate, not asserting legal standing or earning compensation.

Does Compads cover states other than New York?

No. Compads focuses on New York because NY S.8420-A is the only synthetic performer disclosure law currently in effect. We are tracking similar legislation in other states and will expand coverage as laws take effect.

How does billing work?

The Free tier is free indefinitely, no credit card required. Pro is $49 per month and Pro Auto is $79 per month, each billed monthly on an auto-renewing subscription that you can cancel at any time from your account. Cancelling stops future renewals; you keep access through the end of the current billing period. Agency pricing is custom — contact hello@socialintelligencelabs.com to discuss agency terms.

More questions? hello@socialintelligencelabs.com