Valdez bill addressing synthetic media in elections signed into law

OLYMPIA— A bill addressing the use of synthetic media in campaigns was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee today. Synthetic media — also known as “deepfakes”— involves generating, manipulating, or altering data, particularly through the use of artificial intelligence and has become increasingly common in political campaigns, often with malicious intent. This practice can be used to mislead people or cause harm, and it has far-reaching consequences for our democracy. SB 5152, sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez (D-Seattle), addresses this issue head-on by requiring clear disclosure whenever manipulated media is used for election campaigns. This bill will ensure the safety and integrity of our elections in Washington state. According to the bill, the disclosure must be printed in at least the ...

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