The House voted 148-22 to approve the legislation, which attempts to crack down on misinformation from computer-generated deepfakes mimicking candidates.
“How can we have election integrity without knowing what the candidates are saying?” said House Technology Chair Todd Jones, a Republican from south Forsyth County. “That individual going into the voter box must know what you believe in, and that can’t be done if someone is deceptively using your name, your image, your likeness.”
House Bill 986 would make it a felony to broadcast or publish deceptive information within 90 days of an election with the intent to influence a candidate’s chance of being elected, create confusion about election administration, or influence the result.
Satire, parody and legitimate journalism would be exempted. Campaign ads would be required to include disclosures if they include content generated using artificial intelligence.
State Rep. Charlice Byrd opposed the legislation, saying it would limit freedom of speech.
“This is not preserving our liberties. We are gathered at a crossroads, faced with a bill that, while polished to a deceptive shine, threatens to erode the bedrock of freedom,” said Byrd, a Republican from Woodstock. “This bill aims to criminalize the creation and distribution of what they call deceptive digital content in the run-up to an election.”
The legislation will next be considered by the state Senate.
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