Idaho Becomes 10th State to Regulate AI Deepfakes in Elections As State Progress Persists
Washington, D.C. — This week, Idaho became the tenth state in the nation to enact a new law to regulate AI deepfakes in campaign communications. It is the fifth state — after Indiana, Utah, Wisconsin, and New Mexico — to enact legislation on the topic in 2024.
While the FEC has slow-walked federal action to safeguard elections and regulate AI deepfakes, state progress on this issue has been rapid. According to Public Citizen’s state bills tracker, 40 states introduced bills to regulate AI deepfakes in elections in just the latest legislative session.
Bills in Florida and Oregon have passed in both chambers of their respective state legislatures and await a governor’s signature. And 21 bills in other states have passed in one chamber so far.
“The new laws regulating deepfakes in Idaho, Utah, Wisconsin and New Mexico are a testament to the hard work and bipartisan spirit of the state legislators who have come together to safeguard our democracy,” said Ilana Beller, a democracy advocate with Public Citizen. “With the November elections fast approaching, the FEC and Congress should follow their example and prioritize this urgent threat to American election security.”
“AI deepfakes have the potential to completely erode confidence in our democracy,” said Representative Ilana Rubel, who sponsored the newly signed Idaho legislation. “Voters must be able to believe their eyes and ears in order to make informed decisions when voting, which is why I’m glad Idaho was able to take this important step toward protecting election integrity by regulating deepfakes.”
Beyond elections, states are also paying attention to other threats that deepfakes pose to society. Earlier this year, Idaho became the 13th state to enact a law regulating non-consensual intimate deepfakes, and more states have legislation currently in the works.
To learn more about Public Citizen’s work to regulate AI deepfakes in 2024 and beyond, see our state bills tracker (updated regularly) or visit www.citizen.org/ai.