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State board calls for regulating ‘deepfakes’ in Iowa political ads
The state board that enforces campaign-related laws is proposing a bill to require disclosure if a campaign ad includes a so-called deepfake.
Deepfakes are computer-generated images, sounds and videos that can depict a person doing or saying something they didn’t do or say. Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board Executive Director Erika Eckley says Iowa should require disclosure of deepfakes to help ensure elections are transparent and fair. “People think of this as something presented in a negative light, but it can also be something presented in a falsely positive light,” she says, “so it’s just letting the public know that this is something that did not actually occur, so they can make their own decision about the information.”
The bill calls for political ads in Iowa that use deepfakes to include this phrase: “This content generated using synthetic media.”
“Ensuring that the public does have that awareness when there is this synthetic media used in a campaign material is going to be important,” Eckley says.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 26 states have enacted laws that either prohibit the use of political deepfakes or require disclosure. Minnesota and Texas prohibit the publication or broadcast of political deepfakes in the days leading up to an election.
(Reporting by Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)
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