Law / United States / Michigan
Distribution of Materially Deceptive Election Media (Public Act 265 of 2023)
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 13 February 2024.
An AI transparency rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 7 September 2026.
What it requires
- Do not distribute, or agree to distribute, AI-produced media that falsely depicts an identifiable individual's speech or conduct within 90 days before a Michigan election, if you know it is false and intend to harm a candidate or deceive voters.
- You may distribute such media if it carries the disclaimer MCL 168.932f prescribes for its medium (visible throughout a video, read at the start and end of audio-only media, or displayed on an image) stating that the media was manipulated and does not depict real speech or conduct.
- If the media was made by editing an existing image, audio, or video, include a citation to the original unedited source.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Private right of actionYes
Criminal exposure note
A first violation is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not more than $500, or both. A violation within 5 years of a previous conviction under this section is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $1,000, or both.
What it reaches
Obligation class
Content labelling, Prohibition
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
MCL 168.932f, added to the Michigan Election Law by Public Act 265 of 2023, prohibits a person from distributing, or agreeing to distribute, media the section defines as materially deceptive because it depicts speech or conduct that did not occur, would cause a reasonable viewer to believe it did, and was produced by artificial intelligence, where the person knows the media falsely represents a depicted individual, intends within 90 days of an election to harm a candidate's reputation or electoral prospects, and intends to deceive electors about the depicted individual's actual speech or conduct.
The prohibition does not apply where the media carries a disclaimer, in a form prescribed for video, audio, or image media, stating that it was manipulated and does not depict real speech or conduct, or where media made by editing an existing work cites its unedited source. A first violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days' imprisonment or a $500 fine; a violation within five years of a prior conviction under this section is a felony punishable by up to five years or a $1,000 fine.
The Attorney General, the depicted individual, an injured candidate, or a voter-representing organization may also seek permanent injunctive relief.
When LexLint raises it
generates_contentprocesses_voice
Read the law
official Michigan Compiled Laws text, Michigan Election Law, Michigan Legislature