Sponsors (10)
The bill gives federal candidates stronger legal tools to stop and deter materially deceptive AI deepfakes—potentially reducing campaign misinformation—but raises litigation risk, expanded liability, and possible chilling effects on legitimate speech and the press.
Voters and taxpayers will likely see fewer materially deceptive AI audio/video deepfakes about federal candidates during campaigns, reducing misinformation and improving electoral fairness.
Federal candidates and other covered individuals can obtain injunctions and recover damages and attorney’s fees to stop the spread of materially deceptive AI deepfakes, giving them faster legal remedies and stronger deterrence against fabricated audio/video.
News media, creators, publishers, platforms, and small outlets could face costly private litigation and increased settlement pressure from suits alleging distribution of AI-generated content, imposing economic burdens especially on smaller actors.
News media, creators, journalists, satirists, and investigators risk chilling of legitimate speech because the bill’s key terms (e.g., 'materially deceptive' and intent standards) are ambiguous despite enumerated exemptions.
Defendants and publishers face expanded liability exposure because violations are treated as defamation per se, increasing legal risk and settlement pressure even in close or disputed cases.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits knowingly distributing materially deceptive AI audio/visual media of federal candidates to influence elections or solicit funds and creates a private right of action and damages.
Official title: To prohibit the distribution of materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media relating to candidates for Federal office, and for other purposes.
Introduced September 10, 2025 by Julie Johnson · Last progress September 10, 2025
Prohibits the knowing distribution of materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media that depicts a candidate for federal office when distributed with the intent to influence an election or to solicit funds. The bill creates a private civil cause of action allowing injunctive and equitable relief and damages (including attorney’s fees) on a clear-and-convincing evidence standard, exempts certain journalistic, parody, and similar uses, treats violations as defamation per se, and includes a severability clause. The law targets deliberate election-related deepfakes by giving harmed candidates and others the ability to sue for relief and damages, while carving out protections for bona fide journalism, parody, and similar protected uses. It applies to persons, political committees, and other entities that knowingly distribute such deceptive AI media with the specified intent.