LetterVerified Voting Letter

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January 28, 2025

Virginia State Senate 

Privileges and Elections Committee 

Senate Room B, General Assembly Building 

1000 Bank Street 

Richmond, VA 

via electronic mail 

Verified Voting Urges Passage of S.B. 775 

Dear Chair Rouse and Members of the Committee: 

On behalf of Verified Voting, I write in support of S.B. 775, which will help protect voters by prohibiting deepfakes in political campaign advertising without conspicuous disclosure. Since our founding in 2004, Verified Voting’s charge is to strengthen democracy for all voters by promoting the responsible use of technology in elections. S.B. 775 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. 1. Prohibit the informed distribution of artificial images, audio, video, and multimedia that include an undisclosed deepfake depicting a candidate for public office. 
  2. 2. Require clear and conspicuous disclosure of content technologically altered to misrepresent candidates for public office doing or saying something they did not. 
  3. 3. Provide injunctive relief for candidates depicted in artificial media without disclosure. 

S.B. 775 inoculates against misinformation by requiring the disclosure of deepfakes in political campaigning, thereby increasing information transparency for Virginia voters and candidates alike. 

Verified Voting applauds Virginia for its commitment to increasing transparency and accountability in elections and urges swift passage of S.B. 775. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Saige Draeger 

Senior Policy Associate