{"id":2642205,"date":"2026-08-08T17:34:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T21:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ai-deepfake-election-advertising-laws-vary-state-by-state-what-to-know\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:36:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T21:36:01","slug":"ai-deepfake-election-advertising-laws-vary-state-by-state-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ai-deepfake-election-advertising-laws-vary-state-by-state-what-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"AI deepfake election advertising laws vary state by state: What to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fai-deepfake-election-advertising-laws-vary-state-by-state-what-to-know%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2642205&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>as the 2026 U.S.election season approaches, states are adopting different laws concerning the use of AI-created imagery in political advertisements. AI-generated campaign ads have gained attention, featuring videos such as spencer Pratt portraying himself as Batman and deepfake videos showing Rep. Thomas Massie in fictitious scenarios with other congress members. While these innovations can draw meaningful attention, they also risk confusing voters about the authenticity of such content.Consequently,31 states have enacted laws regulating election-related AI deepfakes,although courts in Hawaii and California deemed some of these laws unconstitutional under the First Amendment,leaving 29 states with enforceable regulations. Most states require disclosure when AI deepfake content is used, with additional metadata required in places like Colorado and Utah. Some states,including Maryland,Minnesota,and Texas,have outright banned election-related deepfakes during certain timeframes. Federally, there is no overarching regulation, but President Trump signed the \u201cTake It Down Act\u201d to combat revenge pornography and harmful deepfake content.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/midterm-elections\/\">2026 election<\/a> season heads into general election matchups, each U.S. state has its own unique laws about how candidates can advertise using <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/artificial-intelligence\/\">artificial intelligence-created<\/a> imagery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI-made advertisements have been making headlines throughout the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11675\">2026 election<\/a> cycle, from <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/spencer-pratt\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"22652\">Spencer Pratt\u2019s<\/a> AI-created videos of him saving <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/los-angeles\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1221\">Los Angeles<\/a> as Batman, to deepfake videos of Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/thomas-massie\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"17668\">Thomas Massie<\/a> (R-KY) showing him in a falsified \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.adimpact.com\/viewer\/36e15c91-76e4-4ee7-962d-f079202bfecc\">throuple<\/a>\u201d with Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4680277\/ai-deepfake-election-advertising-laws-what-to-know\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>AI deepfake election advertising laws vary state by state: What to know<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4679495\/airbnb-karen-bass-pay-to-play-la-rental-policy\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Airbnb\u2019s $750,000 to Karen Bass fuels pay-to-play claims over LA rental policy<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4679011\/2026-elections-socialists-hasan-piker-byron-york\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>For socialists, \u2018Hasan Piker is a winner\u2019: Byron York<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI deepfake advertisements can generate a lot of buzz and attention for candidates, but they can also confuse voters who may not realize that the video they are watching was created with AI. The various impacts on viewers have prompted states to pass their own laws on election-related deepfake advertisements, as the federal government has yet to regulate the issue nationally.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">    <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script id=\"infogram_0_dec6a98f-9dc5-44d2-98f2-df9a17d9f0f1\" title=\"AI deepfake election ad laws\" src=\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/js\/dist\/embed.js?dvn\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thirty-one states across the U.S. have passed laws regulating election-related AI deepfake videos as of late June, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/elections-and-campaigns\/artificial-intelligence-ai-in-elections-and-campaigns\">according<\/a> to the National Conference of State Legislatures. However, the laws in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hawaii\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1259\">Hawaii<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"60\">California<\/a> were each struck down by courts as violating the First Amendment right to free speech, reducing the total number of states with such regulations to 29.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most states that regulate AI advertisements in elections require the advertising party to disclose whether the ad contains a deepfake. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/colorado\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"767\">Colorado<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/utah\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1489\">Utah<\/a> require additional metadata disclosures, such as the date of creation, the date of editing, and the creator.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4617529\/ai-deepfake-ad-midterm-election-campaign\/\">AI DEEPFAKE ADS INVADE MIDTERM ELECTION CAMPAIGNS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maryland\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"49\">Maryland<\/a>, Minnesota, and Texas have opted to prohibit election-related deepfakes, though Minnesota\u2019s and Texas\u2019s prohibitions are only active at certain points, while Maryland\u2019s prohibition is indefinite. In <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"443\">Minnesota<\/a>, deepfakes are prohibited either once the absentee voting period begins or 90 days prior to a nominating convention. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"253\">Texas<\/a> law prohibits deepfakes in the 30 days leading up to an election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though the federal government does not regulate election-related AI deepfakes, President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> did sign into law the<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3416059\/trump-signs-take-it-down-act-first-lady-revenge-pornography\/\"> \u201cTake It Down Act\u201d <\/a>this year, prohibiting revenge pornography and other harmful deepfakes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>States&#8217; AI ad laws vary for 2026 election campaigns<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3976,"featured_media":2642206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/capitol-building.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[79083,51738,58853,38778,38108],"class_list":["post-2642205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-advertising-regulation","tag-ai-2","tag-deepfake-2","tag-election-laws","tag-state-legislation"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/capitol-building.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3976"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2642205"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2642208,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642205\/revisions\/2642208"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2642206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2642205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2642205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2642205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}