At a public hearing next week, Mainers will have the opportunity to weigh in on a bill that would require political communications using images or videos that have been manipulated or altered to include a disclaimer.
Although this bill originated as a concept draft sponsored by Rep. Amy Kuhn (D-Falmouth) and pertaining to Mainers’ First Amendment rights, the language that has now been proposed for LD 517 appears to now be taking the proposed legislation in a more targeted direction.
Now titled “An Act Regarding Synthetic Material in Campaign Advertising,” the proposed bill would levy a fine of up to 500 percent of the amount spent by an offending campaign on the expenditure in violation of the disclosure requirement.
In order to be in compliance with the requirements outlined in this bill, entities using altered or manipulated media in their political communications must include a disclosure stating, in part: “THIS COMMUNICATION CONTAINS AUDIO, VIDEO AND/OR IMAGES THAT HAVE BEEN MANIPULATED OR ALTERED.”
Details regarding the size and placement of this disclaimer would be developed by the commission through routine technical rulemaking, meaning that lawmakers would not need to approve their decisions before they would take effect.
Exempt from the proposed law’s new requirements would be media altered for the purpose of satire or parody.
Also free from this disclosure requirement would be radio and TV stations that are broadcasting synthetic media as part of a documentary or newscast, provided that they clearly acknowledge that there are questions regarding the materials’ authenticity.
These outlets would also not be subject to the disclosure requirement when they are being paid to broadcast synthetic media, so long as they do not intentionally remove any disclaimers included by the creator or deliberately circulate known synthetic media without the proper disclaimers.
Newspapers, websites, and other periodicals would be exempt from this requirement when sharing “deceptive or fraudulent political communication,” provided that it is clearly stated that it does not “accurately represent the speech or conduct of the depicted candidate or political party, as applicable.”
Click Here to Read the New Language for LD 517
After first being introduced as a concept draft in February of 2025, this bill was carried over by lawmakers into the second session and will now be considered in light of the proposed language brought forward by the bill’s sponsor.
A public hearing for LD 517 has been scheduled by the Judiciary Committee for Thursday, January 22 at 10am in Room 438 of the State House.
