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Law / United States / Rhode Island

Deceptive and Fraudulent Synthetic Media in Election Communications

R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 17-30-1 to 17-30-4

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 2 July 2025.

An AI transparency rule binding private bodies.

As of 6 September 2026.

What it requires

  • Do not distribute synthetic media of a candidate's appearance, action, or speech within ninety days of an election if you know or should know it is deceptive and fraudulent, unless it carries a disclosure that it was manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence, in the size and timing this chapter specifies.
  • A depicted candidate may seek an injunction and sue for damages plus attorney's fees; the burden is clear and convincing evidence.
  • Broadcasters, qualifying news publications that flag the media as inaccurate, satire and parody, and interactive computer services are exempt from this chapter.

If you get it wrong

Criminal exposureNo

Private right of actionYes

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 July 2, 2025, section 17-30-1 bars a candidate, campaign committee, party committee, or independent-expenditure person or entity from distributing, within ninety days of an election, "synthetic media" that realistically but falsely depicts a candidate's appearance, action, or speech in a way that creates a fundamentally different impression than the real, unaltered version, where the distributor knows or should know it is deceptive.

The prohibition does not apply if the media carries a disclosure that it was manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence, sized and timed as the statute specifies for visual and audio media. A depicted candidate may seek injunctive relief and sue for general or special damages plus attorney's fees, proven by clear and convincing evidence. Broadcasters, news publications that label the media as inaccurate, satire and parody, and interactive computer services are exempted.

When LexLint raises it

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Read the law

official text, Rhode Island General Laws (webserver.rilegislature.gov)

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