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. 

Deepfakes are videos, images, or audio files that artificial intelligence has generated or manipulated to realistically portray something that did not actually occur. 

Deepfake bills are a rapidly-evolving area of legislative activity. The number of bills addressing deepfake technology has increased 950% in 2024 compared to the previous five-year average. 

That’s why today we are officially launching a comprehensive AI Deepfake Legislation Tracker. 

The goal of the 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 topics such as:

• Political and election-related communications; 
• Pornographic and child sexual abuse material;
• Fraud and extortion; and
• Property rights

According to the Government Accountabilty Office, the underlying technology of deepfakes "can replace faces, manipulate facial expressions, synthesize faces, and synthesize speech. Deepfakes can depict someone appearing to say or do something that they in fact never said or did."

Public policy organizations, lawmakers, and journalists have expressed concerns about deepfake technology, including the proliferation of child sexual abuse material and other nonconsensual sexual content and election disinformation.

There’s never been a more important time to stay up-to-date on deepfake legislation in your state. With our AI Deepfake Legislation Tracker, you have a powerful tool to navigate this policy area.