Sponsors (7)
The bill strengthens candidates’ and voters’ protection from materially deceptive AI deepfakes—improving election integrity and deterrence—while increasing litigation risk and creating vagueness that may chill legitimate speech and impose costs on media, platforms, and publishers.
Voters and candidates: the bill reduces the spread of materially deceptive AI audio/video about federal candidates, making election information more reliable and reducing voter confusion and potential manipulation.
Candidates and other covered individuals: the bill provides private legal tools (injunctions, damages, and attorney’s fees) to stop distribution of deceptive deepfakes and create stronger deterrence against distributors.
News media, creators, publishers, platforms, and journalists: ambiguous standards like “materially deceptive” and unclear intent requirements may chill legitimate speech, satire, and investigative reporting despite stated exemptions.
Media creators, online platforms, small publishers, political committees, and other entities: the law opens the door to broad private lawsuits that could produce significant litigation costs, compliance burdens, and legal uncertainty.
Defendants and publishers: treating violations as defamation per se increases liability exposure and settlement pressure, raising the risk of costly settlements even in close or debatable cases.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bans knowingly distributing materially deceptive AI audio/visual media of federal candidates to influence elections or solicit funds and creates a private civil cause of action.
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 knowingly distributing materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media of a candidate for Federal office with intent to influence an election or to solicit funds, while preserving specified journalistic, parody, and similar uses. Creates a private civil cause of action allowing injunctive and equitable relief and damages (with attorney’s fees) under a clear-and-convincing evidence standard, and treats violations as defamation per se; includes a severability clause.