typetone Public interest 
Governments, health services and newsrooms write for everyone. Can everyone read it?
Too hard to read means reading level C1 or harder: well above the B1 level that Dutch and EU guidance ask for in public information. Pages written for professionals, such as tax manuals, court rulings and guidance for doctors, are left out. News sits at B2 by design and is not counted.
Every public-interest organization in the sample, ranked by the share of its public pages that are too hard to read.
- 1,415 of 3,416 pages for the general public are written at reading level C1 or harder.
- 305 pages are easy-read or offer an easy-read version or explainer.
- Pages written for professionals (manuals, rulings, guidance for doctors) are left out.
- 0 possible Article 50(4) gaps: AI-style text without an AI label or named author.
- 1,525 of 4,484 pages for the general public are written at reading level C1 or harder.
- 17 pages are easy-read or offer an easy-read version or explainer.
- Pages written for professionals (manuals, rulings, guidance for doctors) are left out.
- 1 possible Article 50(4) gap: AI-style text without an AI label or named author.
- 155 of 955 pages for the general public are written at reading level C1 or harder.
- 14 pages are easy-read or offer an easy-read version or explainer.
- Pages written for professionals (manuals, rulings, guidance for doctors) are left out.
- 0 possible Article 50(4) gaps: AI-style text without an AI label or named author.
- 345 of 2,387 pages for the general public are written at reading level C1 or harder.
- 59 pages are easy-read or offer an easy-read version or explainer.
- Pages written for professionals (manuals, rulings, guidance for doctors) are left out.
- 0 possible Article 50(4) gaps: AI-style text without an AI label or named author.
- 1,302 of 9,955 pages for the general public are written at reading level C1 or harder.
- 9 pages are easy-read or offer an easy-read version or explainer.
- Pages written for professionals (manuals, rulings, guidance for doctors) are left out.
- 0 possible Article 50(4) gaps: AI-style text without an AI label or named author.
- 719 of 7,163 pages for the general public are written at reading level C1 or harder.
- 53 pages are easy-read or offer an easy-read version or explainer.
- Pages written for professionals (manuals, rulings, guidance for doctors) are left out.
- 1 possible Article 50(4) gap: AI-style text without an AI label or named author.
- 27 of 856 pages for the general public are written at reading level C1 or harder.
- 11 pages are easy-read or offer an easy-read version or explainer.
- Pages written for professionals (manuals, rulings, guidance for doctors) are left out.
- 0 possible Article 50(4) gaps: AI-style text without an AI label or named author.
- 12 of 9,802 pages for the general public are written at reading level C1 or harder.
- 1 page is easy-read or offer an easy-read version or explainer.
- Pages written for professionals (manuals, rulings, guidance for doctors) are left out.
- 0 possible Article 50(4) gaps: AI-style text without an AI label or named author.
- 1 of 2,709 pages for the general public are written at reading level C1 or harder.
- 492 pages are easy-read or offer an easy-read version or explainer.
- Pages written for professionals (manuals, rulings, guidance for doctors) are left out.
- 0 possible Article 50(4) gaps: AI-style text without an AI label or named author.
- 3 of 9,658 pages for the general public are written at reading level C1 or harder.
- 26 pages are easy-read or offer an easy-read version or explainer.
- Pages written for professionals (manuals, rulings, guidance for doctors) are left out.
- 0 possible Article 50(4) gaps: AI-style text without an AI label or named author.
- 0 of 292 pages for the general public are written at reading level C1 or harder.
- 0 pages are easy-read or offer an easy-read version or explainer.
- Pages written for professionals (manuals, rulings, guidance for doctors) are left out.
- 0 possible Article 50(4) gaps: AI-style text without an AI label or named author.
Public information only works if people can read it.
The index measures how many pages meant for the general public are written above the reading level most people can follow, and whether an easy-read version is offered. It also checks AI Act Article 50(4): generated text that informs the public needs disclosure, unless a person reviewed it and takes editorial responsibility.
A screening model rates each page on the European reading-level scale (A2 to C2). C1 or harder counts as too hard to read for a general audience. WCAG 2.2 asks for a simpler version when text needs more than lower-secondary reading ability.
Tax manuals, court rulings, research and guidance for doctors are written for specialists and are left out of the share. Easy-read pages, explainer videos and Leichte Sprache versions count in an organization's favor.
Generated text published to inform the public on matters of public interest needs disclosure, unless a human reviewed it and takes editorial responsibility.
A public-interest page with strong AI-style writing signals, no AI label and no named author. It is a possible issue for review, not a legal finding.
Text a person reviewed and took editorial responsibility for needs no label. From outside that review is invisible, which is why a named author or an editorial statement matters.
If you chat with an AI system, you have to be told, unless it is obvious from the context. We record which chatbot a site runs; whether it says so is tested separately.
Reading level and AI-style signals come from a screening model (jev-1.13.0) run on a sample of up to 10000 public pages per organization. Formal French and German administrative text tends to rate higher than Dutch or English. A signal is a possible issue for review, not a legal finding; SC 3.1.5 is a WCAG level AAA criterion. Edition: October 2026.
Plain language, WCAG and the AI Act: questions and answers
What does WCAG say about reading level and plain language?
WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.1.5 Reading Level (level AAA) says that when text requires reading ability more advanced than lower secondary education, after removing proper names and titles, supplemental content or a version that does not require that reading ability must be available. Related criteria are 3.1.3 Unusual Words, for jargon, and 3.1.4 Abbreviations. WCAG and accessibility
Are government websites legally required to use plain language?
Public sector websites in the EU must meet the Web Accessibility Directive (EU) 2016/2102 through the standard EN 301 549, which refers to WCAG level AA. Reading level (3.1.5) is a level AAA criterion, so it is not mandatory under that standard. Many governments do have plain-language policies; Dutch government guidance, for example, aims for language level B1 in public information.
What is language level B1, and why is C1 too hard for public information?
The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) runs from A1 to C2. At B1 a reader understands the main points of clear, standard text about familiar matters; most adults can follow it. C1 means long, demanding texts with abstract language, which a large group of readers, including people with low literacy, cannot follow. In this index a page meant for the general public counts as too hard to read at C1 or harder.
Does the European Accessibility Act require plain language?
The European Accessibility Act, Directive (EU) 2019/882, applies since 28 June 2025 to products and services such as e-commerce, banking, transport and e-books. It requires information about these services to be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. Organisations usually meet the "understandable" requirement with WCAG and plain-language guidance.
How do you measure the reading level of a web page?
For this index a decision model rates the main text of each sampled page on the CEFR scale, from A2 to C2. The measure was checked against pages labelled by hand and against classic readability formulas such as Flesch, Flesch-Douma and LIX. Pages written for professionals, such as tax manuals, court rulings and guidance for doctors, are left out, and easy-read versions count in an organisation's favour.
How do you make public information easier to read?
Write short sentences, address the reader directly, use active verbs, explain jargon and abbreviations the first time, put instructions in steps, and offer an easy-read summary or explainer video for complex topics. Typetone checks every page for reading level, jargon and unexplained abbreviations, rewrites flagged passages to B1, and routes the changes through your editors before publication. Talk to Typetone
What does AI Act Article 50(4) require for AI-generated text?
From 2 August 2026, organisations that use AI to generate or manipulate text published to inform the public on matters of public interest must disclose that the text was artificially generated or manipulated. The duty does not apply when the text has gone through human review or editorial control and a person or organisation holds editorial responsibility. Breaches of Article 50 can be fined up to €15 million or 3% of worldwide annual turnover.
Does a chatbot on a government or company website have to say it is an AI?
Yes. Article 50(1) of the AI Act requires AI systems that interact with people to be designed so that people are told they are dealing with an AI system, unless that is obvious from the context. The rule applies from 2 August 2026.
How can public organisations check their websites for accessibility and AI Act compliance?
Typetone scans public websites against WCAG, plain-language and AI Act rule sets, shows which pages are too hard to read or lack disclosure, explains each issue and suggests a compliant rewrite, so editors can fix pages in bulk with a full approval trail. Request a scan
Find the gaps before your readers do.
We run the same screen on your full website and hand you every public-interest page with strong AI-style signals and no label or author, ranked for review.