Bill > S738

This bill establishes the Digital Content Provenance Initiative, a comprehensive program designed to address the growing challenges of synthetic media and AI-generated content in North Carolina. The initiative defines key terms like synthetic media (content generated or manipulated by AI), provenance (verifiable information about digital content's origin), and cryptographic authentication (secure digital methods to confirm content integrity). In Phase I, the Departments of Commerce and Information Technology will develop standards to protect residents from digital misinformation, focusing on authenticating digital content across state platforms and election-related communications. The initiative will work to align with existing technical standards like those from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) and potentially implement metadata and watermarking protocols. A Digital Content Provenance Advisory Board will be created, comprising experts from civil liberties organizations, academia, media, cybersecurity, and technology to provide guidance on implementation. The bill appropriates $500,000 for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to develop a content authentication framework, including cryptographic verification protocols, a secure content provenance registry, public education resources, and technology partnerships. By December 2025 and March 2026, the departments will submit interim and final reports to the General Assembly detailing the initiative's progress, public input, and recommendations for future phases.

Budget and Finance

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S738