Deepfake-Related Bills Have Increased 950% Over the Previous Five-Year Average

Ballotpedia launches comprehensive 50-state AI Deepfake Legislation Tracker and "2024 State of Deepfake Legislation" Annual Report

MIDDLETON, Wis., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Deepfakes, an offshoot of Artificial Intelligence (AI), have become a pressing social and political issue that an increasing number of state lawmakers are trying to address through legislation. The number of bills in this space has grown from an average of 28 per year from 2019-2023, to 294 bills introduced to date in 2024.

That's why Ballotpedia, the nation's premiere source for unbiased information on elections, politics, and policy has created and launched a comprehensive AI Deepfake Legislation Tracker and Ballotpedia's State of Deepfake Legislation 2024 Annual Report, available here.

The goal of Ballotpedia's newest tracker is simple: to let people know what's happening—in real time—with deepfake legislation in all 50 states. The tracker provides historical context on deepfake legislation going back to 2019 and covers these topics:

• Political and election-related communications
• Pornographic and child sexual abuse material (including so-called "deepfake nudes")
• Fraud and extortion
• Property rights

"Deepfake bills are a rapidly-evolving area of legislative activity, and our database is a useful tool for anyone trying to keep up," said Geoff Pallay, Ballotpedia's Editor-in-Chief. "This tracker is a powerful tool to help track these bills as they move through the legislative process, and is  the central, authoritative, neutral resource for those who care about AI deepfake legislation."

Deepfake definition
According to the Government Accountability Office, deepfakes are "videos, audio, or images that seem real but have been manipulated with AI. They've been used to try to influence elections and to create non-consensual pornography."

About Ballotpedia Legislation Trackers
Ballotpedia's legislation trackers provide a free (no login or sign-up required) and centralized hub that makes staying on top of legislation and legislative reforms across all 50 states easier than ever. Founded on Ballotpedia's hallmark principle of being neutral on the issues, but passionate about the facts, our legislation trackers are updated in real time and designed to be easily searchable. Used as a go-to resource for voters, reporters, researchers, academics, and activists, they capture any bill introduced on the given topic across all of the 50-state legislatures, and track bill movement every step of the way.

About Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia, the encyclopedia of American politics, is the nation's most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections, and policy. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a small group of dedicated volunteers working on a handful of ballot measures to an essential resource for voters, media, and researchers. Ballotpedia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in creating an educated, engaged electorate, and building a strong, healthy democracy. For free access to 490,000+ encyclopedic, professionally authored and curated articles, visit Ballotpedia.org.

SOURCE BALLOTPEDIA