Bill > SB228

This bill creates a new criminal offense in Texas related to the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology in political advertising. Specifically, it prohibits publishing, distributing, or broadcasting political advertisements that intentionally manipulate an officeholder's or candidate's image, audio, or video recording in a way that creates a false or inaccurate representation. The manipulation must be so realistic that a reasonable person would believe the depiction occurred, but in reality, it did not happen. The bill defines this as creating a fundamentally different understanding of the candidate's appearance, speech, or conduct than what would be understood from the original, unaltered version. Violations of this provision would be classified as a Class B misdemeanor, which typically carries potential penalties of up to 180 days in jail and/or a fine. The law would apply only to political advertising published, distributed, or broadcast on or after September 1, 2025, and is designed to prevent the potential misuse of AI technology to spread misinformation or manipulate voters' perceptions of political candidates.

Government Affairs

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB228