Arizona Capitol Times/Cronkite News
Arizona legislators are hoping to pave the way for political candidates to take legal action against the rising threat of deepfakes in election campaigns. HB 2394, a measure proposed by state Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, is designed to address the rise of digitally manipulated media created with an intent to mislead voters.

The bill, which is working its way through committees, states that, if enacted, candidates for public office – or any citizen of Arizona – would have the right to take legal action against digital impersonation, if they could prove the content was published without consent and that it was created with the intent of deception.

“Artificial-generative technologies, they have a very legitimate role to play in our public discourse,” Kolodin said during a Jan. 24 House Municipal Oversight and Elections Committee meeting. “This is a bill, I believe, that really is the most thoughtful and respectful attempt at figuring out what to do about this new technology and the political and elections context that, at the same time, does not in any means infringe on the First Amendment.”

Notably, the bill doesn’t grant the power to remove deepfakes from the internet but rather assists candidates in proving misinformation to voters, with court backing. An expedited process can be obtained under specific conditions, such as an impending election within a 180-day period or if the content depicts explicit or harmful content.

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