The Colorado Election Deepfake Law, formally the Candidate Election Deepfake Disclosures Act (HB 24-1147), prohibits distributing communications about candidates for elected office that contain undisclosed AI-generated deepfakes. It applies when the distributor knows, or recklessly disregards, that the content is fake, and it has been in effect since July 1, 2024.
What the Colorado Election Deepfake Law Requires
Covered content must carry a disclosure stating the media has been edited and depicts speech or conduct that falsely appears authentic. The disclosure must also be embedded in metadata and hard to remove, so a compliant label cannot simply be cropped out or stripped before the content spreads.
Enforcement and Exemptions
The Secretary of State enforces violations with civil penalties of at least 100 dollars per violation or at least 10 percent of the ad spend. Affected candidates can also sue for injunctions and damages plus attorney fees, giving targets of a deepfake their own direct remedy. Parody, satire, broadcasters, and technology platforms have exemptions, which keeps the law aimed at the people who create and distribute deceptive candidate media.
Source: Colorado General Assembly: HB 24-1147
Report a violation: If you believe a business is violating this law, you can file a complaint with the Colorado Attorney General Consumer Protection Section.
