February 26, 2024
Colorado House of Representatives
State, Civic, Military & Veteran Affairs Committee
Legislative Services Building A
200 E. 14th Avenue
Denver, CO
via electronic mail
RE: Verified Voting Urges Passage of H.B. 1147
Dear Chair Woodrow and Members of the Committee:
On behalf of Verified Voting, I write in support of House Bill 1147, which will help protect voters by creating a regulatory framework for the use of deepfakes in political campaign advertising. Verified Voting’s mission is to strengthen democracy for all voters by promoting the responsible use of technology in elections. As the country enters its first election cycle with generative AI tools at the fingertips of anyone with internet access, the potential for further degradation of the election information ecosystem looms large. H.B. 1147 installs important guardrails on the use of generative AI in campaigning by requiring greater transparency that puts voters first and protects candidates from being misrepresented by deceptive deepfakes.
Specifically, the bill would:
- 1. Prohibit the distribution of images, audio, video, and multimedia that includes an undisclosed deepfake in a communication related to a candidate for public office.
- 2. Require clear and conspicuous disclosure, in the communication itself and its metadata, of AI-generated content altered to misrepresent candidates for public office doing or saying something they did not.
- 3. Provide injunctive relief for candidates whose likeness is used in AI-generated content without disclosure.
Voters use information disseminated by elected officials to make informed decisions about how to cast their ballots. To do this most effectively, voters must know the provenance of the information they receive. Imagine a fake video of a local clerk “caught on tape” saying that voting machines are not secure, or audio of the secretary of state “throwing out ballots.” H.B. 1147 inoculates against misinformation through the disclosure of deepfakes in political campaigning, thereby increasing information transparency for Colorado voters and candidates, alike.
Verified Voting applauds Colorado for its commitment to increasing transparency and accountability in elections and urges swift passage of H.B. 1147.
Respectfully submitted,
Saige Draeger
Senior Policy Associate