Minnesota bans deepfake political ads 90 days before elections

Minnesota has joined two other states in enacting legislation prohibiting deepfake political advertisements within 90 days of elections, primaries, and related events. The law targets synthetic media depicting candidates or election officials without disclosure, aiming to prevent voter deception during critical campaign periods. This regulatory action establishes a specific temporal window for enforcement rather than a permanent prohibition on AI-generated political speech. State legislators argue the measure protects electoral integrity against increasingly sophisticated generative AI tools capable of producing realistic fake endorsements or scandalous fabrications. Legal experts note that such time-bound restrictions attempt to balance First Amendment concerns with urgent state interests in fair elections. The policy creates immediate compliance obligations for campaigns, platforms, and ad buyers operating in Minnesota. Similar measures in two unnamed states suggest an emerging regional consensus on regulating synthetic election content. Enforcement mechanisms and penalties remain unspecified in available reports.