Forty-seven states have passed some form of deepfake legislation since 2019, addressing various contexts from non-consensual intimate imagery to fraud. Only Alaska, Missouri, and Ohio have no deepfake laws at all.ContentsTwenty States, Twenty Different ApproachesCalifornia Tried to Ban Them. A Judge Said No.Enforcement Is Where Theory Meets RealityThe Satire Problem Nobody’s SolvedDetection Technology Isn’t Good […]

The twenty states now regulating synthetic media in campaigns aren’t doing it the same way.

Most states with political deepfake laws require disclosure. If you create or share AI-generated content about candidates, you have to label it as artificial. Something like: “This video has been manipulated by artificial intelligence and depicts speech or conduct that did not occur.”

The timeframes vary too. Thirty days in one state. Sixty, ninety, or one hundred twenty days in another. A few regulate them year-round but with heightened scrutiny during campaign season.