Law / United States / Maryland
SB 141 / Ch. 444 (2026), Election Deepfake Prohibition
Md. Code Ann., Elec. Law §16-905
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 4 months, effective 1 June 2026.
An AI prohibited practices rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 6 September 2026.
What it requires
- Do not knowingly, or with reckless disregard, create, use, or disseminate a deepfake, meaning AI-generated or other digitally manipulated media an ordinary person would conclude is an authentic depiction, with intent to impede or influence a voter's decision, misrepresent voter-registration or election facts, or induce or deter a ballot-question petition signature, where the act results or is intended to result in harm to a voter or petition.
- Satire or parody is exempt.
- A broadcaster, website, or periodical is exempt for content that carries a clear and conspicuous disclosure that it may contain deceptive audio or visual media.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
Misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not exceeding $5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 5 years, or both.
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Effective June 1, 2026, a person may not knowingly or with reckless disregard create, use, or disseminate a deepfake, defined as an image, audio recording, or video recording intentionally created or manipulated with generative artificial intelligence or other digital technology to produce a realistic but false depiction an ordinary person would conclude is authentic, where the person intends the deepfake to impede or influence a voter's decision, misrepresent voter-registration or election facts, or induce or deter a ballot-question petition signature, and the act results in or is intended to result in harm to a voter or petition.
The prohibition exempts satire or parody and exempts a broadcaster, website, or periodical that carries a clear and conspicuous disclosure that content may be deceptive. A violation is a misdemeanor.
When LexLint raises it
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