WHAT THIS BILL REGULATES · 2 REQUIREMENT TYPES
How Is This Bill Enforced
Verbatim statutory text on the left; plain-language analysis and a per-section checklist on the right. Numbered markers cross-link to the matching checklist row.
1 115.645. 1. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall mean: (1) "CreatorCreator"Creator", any person that utilizes or deploys artificial intelligence or other digital technology to generate synthetic media, but does not include a provider or a developer of any technology used in the creation of synthetic media;§ 115.645.1(1)", any person that utilizes or deploys artificial intelligence or other digital technology to generate synthetic mediaSynthetic media"Synthetic media", an image, audio recording, or video recording of an individual's appearance, speech, or conduct that has been created or intentionally manipulated with the use of generative adversarial network techniques or other digital artificial intelligence technology in a manner to create a realistic but false image, audio, or video.§ 115.645.1(3), but does not include a provider or a developer of any technology used in the creation of synthetic mediaSynthetic media"Synthetic media", an image, audio recording, or video recording of an individual's appearance, speech, or conduct that has been created or intentionally manipulated with the use of generative adversarial network techniques or other digital artificial intelligence technology in a manner to create a realistic but false image, audio, or video.§ 115.645.1(3); (2) "Deceptive and fraudulent deepfakeDeceptive and fraudulent deepfake"Deceptive and fraudulent deepfake", synthetic media that provides false information to voters about where, when, or how they can lawfully vote or depicts a candidate or political party with the intent to injure the reputation of the candidate or party and otherwise deceive a voter that: (a) Appears to a reasonable person to depict a real individual saying or doing something that did not actually occur; or (b) Provides a reasonable person a fundamentally different understanding or impression of the appearance, action, or speech of a candidate or party than such person would have from an unaltered, original version of the image, audio recording, or video recording;§ 115.645.1(2)", synthetic mediaSynthetic media"Synthetic media", an image, audio recording, or video recording of an individual's appearance, speech, or conduct that has been created or intentionally manipulated with the use of generative adversarial network techniques or other digital artificial intelligence technology in a manner to create a realistic but false image, audio, or video.§ 115.645.1(3) that provides false information to voters about where, when, or how they can lawfully vote or depicts a candidate or political party with the intent to injure the reputation of the candidate or party and otherwise deceive a voter that: (a) Appears to a reasonable person to depict a real individual saying or doing something that did not actually occur; or (b) Provides a reasonable person a fundamentally different understanding or impression of the appearance, action, or speech of a candidate or party than such person would have from an unaltered, original version of the image, audio recording, or video recording; (3) "Synthetic mediaSynthetic media"Synthetic media", an image, audio recording, or video recording of an individual's appearance, speech, or conduct that has been created or intentionally manipulated with the use of generative adversarial network techniques or other digital artificial intelligence technology in a manner to create a realistic but false image, audio, or video.§ 115.645.1(3)", an image, audio recording, or video recording of an individual's appearance, speech, or conduct that has been created or intentionally manipulated with the use of generative adversarial network techniques or other digital artificial intelligence technology in a manner to create a realistic but false image, audio, or video.
2 1 2. Except as provided in subsection 3 of this section, a creatorCreator"Creator", any person that utilizes or deploys artificial intelligence or other digital technology to generate synthetic media, but does not include a provider or a developer of any technology used in the creation of synthetic media;§ 115.645.1(1) shall not, within eighteen weeks of an election, distribute a synthetic mediaSynthetic media"Synthetic media", an image, audio recording, or video recording of an individual's appearance, speech, or conduct that has been created or intentionally manipulated with the use of generative adversarial network techniques or other digital artificial intelligence technology in a manner to create a realistic but false image, audio, or video.§ 115.645.1(3) message that the creatorCreator"Creator", any person that utilizes or deploys artificial intelligence or other digital technology to generate synthetic media, but does not include a provider or a developer of any technology used in the creation of synthetic media;§ 115.645.1(1) knows or should have known is a deceptive and fraudulent deepfakeDeceptive and fraudulent deepfake"Deceptive and fraudulent deepfake", synthetic media that provides false information to voters about where, when, or how they can lawfully vote or depicts a candidate or political party with the intent to injure the reputation of the candidate or party and otherwise deceive a voter that: (a) Appears to a reasonable person to depict a real individual saying or doing something that did not actually occur; or (b) Provides a reasonable person a fundamentally different understanding or impression of the appearance, action, or speech of a candidate or party than such person would have from an unaltered, original version of the image, audio recording, or video recording;§ 115.645.1(2).
3 2 3. (1) The provisions of subsection 2 of this section shall not apply if the creator of the audio or visual media includes a disclosure stating: "This _______ has been manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence.". (2) The blank shall be filled in with whichever of the following terms most accurately describes the media: image, video, or audio. (3) For visual media, the text of the disclosure shall appear in a size no smaller than the largest font size of other text appearing in the visual media. If the visual media does not include any other text, the disclosure shall appear in a size that is easily readable by the average viewer. For visual media in video format, the disclosure shall appear for the duration of the video. (4) If the media consists of audio only, and no visual disclosure is feasible, the disclosure shall be read in a clearly spoken manner and in a pitch that can be easily heard by the average listener at the beginning of the audio, at the end of the audio, and, if the audio is greater than two minutes in length, interspersed within the audio at intervals not to exceed two minutes in length.
4 4. A candidate whose appearance, action, or speech is depicted through the use of a deceptive and fraudulent deepfakeDeceptive and fraudulent deepfake"Deceptive and fraudulent deepfake", synthetic media that provides false information to voters about where, when, or how they can lawfully vote or depicts a candidate or political party with the intent to injure the reputation of the candidate or party and otherwise deceive a voter that: (a) Appears to a reasonable person to depict a real individual saying or doing something that did not actually occur; or (b) Provides a reasonable person a fundamentally different understanding or impression of the appearance, action, or speech of a candidate or party than such person would have from an unaltered, original version of the image, audio recording, or video recording;§ 115.645.1(2) in violation of subsection 2 of this section may seek injunctive or other equitable relief from the creatorCreator"Creator", any person that utilizes or deploys artificial intelligence or other digital technology to generate synthetic media, but does not include a provider or a developer of any technology used in the creation of synthetic media;§ 115.645.1(1) prohibiting the publication of such deceptive and fraudulent deepfakeDeceptive and fraudulent deepfake"Deceptive and fraudulent deepfake", synthetic media that provides false information to voters about where, when, or how they can lawfully vote or depicts a candidate or political party with the intent to injure the reputation of the candidate or party and otherwise deceive a voter that: (a) Appears to a reasonable person to depict a real individual saying or doing something that did not actually occur; or (b) Provides a reasonable person a fundamentally different understanding or impression of the appearance, action, or speech of a candidate or party than such person would have from an unaltered, original version of the image, audio recording, or video recording;§ 115.645.1(2).
5 5. A person who violates the provisions of subsection 2 of this section may be subject to the following penalties: (1) A class B misdemeanor; (2) A class A misdemeanor if the person commits the violation with the intent to cause violence or bodily harm; (3) A class E felony if the person commits the violation within five years of one or more prior convictions under this section; or (4) A civil penalty no less than one thousand dollars per the first violation and not to exceed five million dollars for any subsequent violation.
6 6. Any individual who has been harmed by violations of the provisions of this section may bring a private civil action in the court of competent jurisdiction.
7 7. This section shall not apply to a radio or television broadcasting station, including a cable or satellite television operator, programmer, or producer, that broadcasts a deceptive and fraudulent deepfakeDeceptive and fraudulent deepfake"Deceptive and fraudulent deepfake", synthetic media that provides false information to voters about where, when, or how they can lawfully vote or depicts a candidate or political party with the intent to injure the reputation of the candidate or party and otherwise deceive a voter that: (a) Appears to a reasonable person to depict a real individual saying or doing something that did not actually occur; or (b) Provides a reasonable person a fundamentally different understanding or impression of the appearance, action, or speech of a candidate or party than such person would have from an unaltered, original version of the image, audio recording, or video recording;§ 115.645.1(2) prohibited by this section as part of a bona fide newscast, news interview, news documentary, or on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events, if the broadcast clearly acknowledges through content or a disclosure, in a manner that can be easily heard or read by the average listener or viewer, that there are questions about the authenticity of the materially deceptive audio or visual media.
8 8. This section shall not apply to a radio or television broadcasting station, including a cable or satellite television operator, programmer, or producer, or website developer or owner, when it is paid to broadcast a deceptive and fraudulent deepfakeDeceptive and fraudulent deepfake"Deceptive and fraudulent deepfake", synthetic media that provides false information to voters about where, when, or how they can lawfully vote or depicts a candidate or political party with the intent to injure the reputation of the candidate or party and otherwise deceive a voter that: (a) Appears to a reasonable person to depict a real individual saying or doing something that did not actually occur; or (b) Provides a reasonable person a fundamentally different understanding or impression of the appearance, action, or speech of a candidate or party than such person would have from an unaltered, original version of the image, audio recording, or video recording;§ 115.645.1(2). The responsibility and liability shall rest solely with the advertiser or entity that paid to broadcast the deceptive and fraudulent deepfakeDeceptive and fraudulent deepfake"Deceptive and fraudulent deepfake", synthetic media that provides false information to voters about where, when, or how they can lawfully vote or depicts a candidate or political party with the intent to injure the reputation of the candidate or party and otherwise deceive a voter that: (a) Appears to a reasonable person to depict a real individual saying or doing something that did not actually occur; or (b) Provides a reasonable person a fundamentally different understanding or impression of the appearance, action, or speech of a candidate or party than such person would have from an unaltered, original version of the image, audio recording, or video recording;§ 115.645.1(2) and not with the radio or television broadcasting station or website developer or owner disseminating the deceptive or fraudulent deepfake.
9 9. This section shall not apply to an internet website or a regularly published newspaper, magazine, or other periodical of general circulation, including an internet or electronic publication, that routinely carries news and commentary of general interest and that publishes a deceptive and fraudulent deepfakeDeceptive and fraudulent deepfake"Deceptive and fraudulent deepfake", synthetic media that provides false information to voters about where, when, or how they can lawfully vote or depicts a candidate or political party with the intent to injure the reputation of the candidate or party and otherwise deceive a voter that: (a) Appears to a reasonable person to depict a real individual saying or doing something that did not actually occur; or (b) Provides a reasonable person a fundamentally different understanding or impression of the appearance, action, or speech of a candidate or party than such person would have from an unaltered, original version of the image, audio recording, or video recording;§ 115.645.1(2) prohibited by this section if the publication clearly states that the audio or visual media does not accurately represent the speech or conduct of the candidate.
10 10. This section shall not apply to an interactive computer service, as defined in 47 U.S.C. Section 230, for content provided by another party.
11 11. This section shall not apply to materially deceptive audio or visual media that constitutes satire or parody.
Section 115.645 creates Missouri's first regulation of AI-generated synthetic media in the election context. The core prohibition bars creators from distributing synthetic media that qualifies as a deceptive and fraudulent deepfake within 18 weeks of an election, subject to a knowledge or constructive-knowledge standard. A safe harbor allows distribution if the creator includes a prescribed disclosure label identifying the content as AI-manipulated or AI-generated, with specific formatting requirements for visual and audio media.
Enforcement is layered: criminal penalties escalate from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class E felony based on intent and recidivism, civil penalties range from $1,000 to $5,000,000, and both depicted candidates and harmed individuals may bring private actions. Broad exemptions shield broadcasters airing deepfakes in bona fide news coverage with appropriate acknowledgment, paid broadcast intermediaries (shifting liability to the advertiser), news publications with disclaimers, interactive computer services under 47 U.S.C. § 230, and content constituting satire or parody.