Law / United States / Kentucky
Synthetic Media Disclosure in Electioneering Communications
A citation is an address, not a summary. The first part names the law; what follows narrows it to the exact section, article or paragraph.
In force since 24 March 2025.
An AI transparency rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 6 September 2026.
What it requires
- If a communication you sponsor about a candidate for elective office alters that candidate's appearance, action, or speech through synthetic media, include a disclosure that is clear and conspicuous and placed in or alongside the content so a user is likely to notice it.
- A candidate depicted this way may seek an injunction requiring that disclosure and may recover attorney's fees and costs if they prevail.
- The medium distributing the communication and its advertising sales representative are not liable unless they intentionally remove a required disclosure or, intending to deceive, alter content so that it becomes synthetic media.
- Failing to comply with a court's order to add the disclosure is a Class D felony.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Private right of actionYes
Criminal exposure note
Failure to comply with a court's order under KRS 117.322 to include the required disclosure is subject to the penalties in KRS 121.990(3) for a violation of KRS 121.190(1), which classifies the violation as a Class D felony.
What it reaches
Obligation class
Content labelling, Disclosure
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Created by 2025 Ky. Acts ch. 66 (Senate Bill 4) and effective March 24, 2025, the same emergency-clause Act that also directs Commonwealth-agency AI governance, KRS 117.322 lets a candidate for elected office whose appearance, action, or speech is altered through synthetic media in an electioneering communication seek an injunction or other equitable relief against the communication's sponsor requiring a disclosure that is clear and conspicuous and placed in or alongside the content so a user is likely to notice it, and lets a prevailing plaintiff recover attorney's fees and costs.
The medium disseminating the communication and its advertising sales representative are not liable except where they intentionally remove a required disclosure or, intending to deceive, alter content so that it becomes synthetic media, and an interactive computer service keeps its federal Communications Decency Act section 230 exemption. It is an affirmative defense that the communication already carries the required disclosure.
Failing to comply with a court's order to include the disclosure is punishable as a Class D felony under KRS 121.990(3). The section was amended again by 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 161, effective July 15, 2026.
When LexLint raises it
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