Bill proposed to curb deepfakes, other artificially manipulated media

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has recognized deepfakes — digitally altered images or videos where one person appears to be another — as an “emerging” and “increasing” threat, noting that “the threat of deepfakes and synthetic media comes not from the technology used to create it, but from people’s natural inclination to believe what they see.”

“It has become apparent to many in the government and private sectors that individuals need to be better prepared to deal with the potential use and abuse of synthetic media,” the department wrote in 2022.

Senate File 51, sponsored by the Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology, would prohibit the unlawful distribution of misleading synthetic media.

In this case, synthetic media refers to an image, audio or video of a person’s appearance, speech or conduct that has been intentionally manipulated to create a “realistic, but false image, audio or video.”

In most cases, artificial intelligence and machine learning are used to manipulate media in order to mislead and deceive. With the presidential election coming up, there are worries about how deepfakes could be used on the campaign trail.

States such as Texas and California have passed laws banning or restricting the use of misleading synthetic media in election ads.

Wyoming’s bill would make distributing synthetic media with the knowledge that it’s not real and with the intent to deceive others a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in prison, a fine of up to $750 or both.

The existence of synthetic content and deepfakes may introduce doubt into court proceedings. Politicians facing a scandal could claim that images or videos of said scandal were a deepfake created by their opponents.

As it stands, Homeland Security wrote, “deepfakes could be a nefarious tool to undermine the credibility of history.”