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1 | AN ACT concerning elections. | |||||||||||||||||||
2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly: | |||||||||||||||||||
4 | Section 5. The Election Code is amended by adding Section | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | 29-21 as follows: | |||||||||||||||||||
6 | (10 ILCS 5/29-21 new) | |||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 29-21. Disclosure of digitally altered content. | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | (a) As used in this Section: | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | "Deepfake" means any video recording, motion-picture film, | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | sound recording, electronic image, or photograph, or any | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | technological representation of speech or conduct | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | substantially derivative of any one or more of those forms of | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | media: | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | (1) that is so realistic that a reasonable person | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | would believe it depicts speech or conduct of an | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | individual who did not in fact engage in such speech or | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | conduct; and | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | (2) the production of which was substantially | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | dependent upon technical means rather than the ability of | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | another individual to physically or verbally impersonate | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | the depicted individual. | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | "Depicted individual" means an individual in a deepfake | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | who appears to be engaging in speech or conduct in which the |
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1 | individual did not engage. | ||||||
2 | (b) Except as provided in subsection (b), a person shall | ||||||
3 | not distribute, or enter into an agreement with another person | ||||||
4 | to distribute, materially deceptive media if: | ||||||
5 | (1) the person knows the media falsely represents a | ||||||
6 | depicted individual; | ||||||
7 | (2) the distribution occurs within 90 days before an | ||||||
8 | election; | ||||||
9 | (3) the person intends the distribution to harm the | ||||||
10 | reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate in an | ||||||
11 | election or otherwise deceive voters; and | ||||||
12 | (4) the person intends the distribution to change the | ||||||
13 | voting behavior of electors in an election by deceiving | ||||||
14 | the electors into incorrectly believing that the depicted | ||||||
15 | individual in fact engaged in the speech or conduct | ||||||
16 | depicted, and the distribution is reasonably likely to | ||||||
17 | cause that result. | ||||||
18 | (c) The prohibition described in subsection (b) does not | ||||||
19 | apply: | ||||||
20 | (1) If the media includes a disclaimer informing the | ||||||
21 | viewer that the media has been manipulated by technical | ||||||
22 | means and depicts speech or conduct that did not occur. | ||||||
23 | The following disclaimer is sufficient, but not necessary, | ||||||
24 | to satisfy the requirement of this subsection: | ||||||
25 | "This (insert image, audio, or video) has been | ||||||
26 | manipulated by technical means and depicts speech or |
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1 | conduct that did not occur." | ||||||
2 | (2) If the media is a video, the disclaimer satisfies | ||||||
3 | all of the following requirements: | ||||||
4 | (A) it appears throughout the entirety of the | ||||||
5 | video; | ||||||
6 | (B) it is clearly visible to and readable by an | ||||||
7 | observer; | ||||||
8 | (C) it is in letters at least as large as the | ||||||
9 | majority of any text communication, or if there is no | ||||||
10 | other text communication, in a size that is easily | ||||||
11 | readable by the average viewer; and | ||||||
12 | (D) it is in the same language as the language used | ||||||
13 | in the video media. | ||||||
14 | (3) If the media consists only of audio and contains | ||||||
15 | no image or video, the disclaimer is read at the beginning | ||||||
16 | and end of the media in a clearly spoken manner, in a pitch | ||||||
17 | that can be easily heard by the average listener, and in | ||||||
18 | the same language as the audio media. | ||||||
19 | (4) If the media is an image, the disclaimer meets all | ||||||
20 | of the following requirements: | ||||||
21 | (A) it is clearly visible to and readable by the | ||||||
22 | average viewer; | ||||||
23 | (B) it is in letters at least as large as the | ||||||
24 | majority of the other text, if the media contains | ||||||
25 | other text; and | ||||||
26 | (C) it is in the same language as the language used |
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1 | in the image media. | ||||||
2 | (5) If the media includes a citation directing the | ||||||
3 | viewer or listener to the original source from which the | ||||||
4 | unedited version of the existing image, audio, or video | ||||||
5 | was obtained, if the media was generated by editing an | ||||||
6 | existing image, audio, or video. | ||||||
7 | (d) A candidate whose appearance, action, or speech is | ||||||
8 | depicted through the use of a deceptive and fraudulent | ||||||
9 | deepfake in violation of subsection (b) may seek injunctive or | ||||||
10 | other equitable relief prohibiting the publication of such | ||||||
11 | deceptive and fraudulent deepfake. | ||||||
12 | (d) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a | ||||||
13 | person who violates subsection (b) commits a Class C | ||||||
14 | misdemeanor. | ||||||
15 | A person who violates subsection (b) with the intent to | ||||||
16 | cause violence or bodily harm commits a Class A misdemeanor. | ||||||
17 | A person who violates subsection (b) a second or | ||||||
18 | subsequent time within 5 years after a prior conviction for | ||||||
19 | violating subsection (b) commits a Class 3 felony. | ||||||
20 | (e) This Section does not apply to: | ||||||
21 | (1) a radio or television broadcasting station, | ||||||
22 | including a cable or satellite television operator, | ||||||
23 | programmer, or producer, that broadcasts a deceptive and | ||||||
24 | fraudulent deepfake prohibited by this Section as part of | ||||||
25 | a bona fide newscast, news interview, news documentary, or | ||||||
26 | on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events, if the |
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1 | broadcast clearly acknowledges through content or a | ||||||
2 | disclosure, in a manner that can be easily heard or read by | ||||||
3 | the average listener or viewer, that there are questions | ||||||
4 | about the authenticity of the materially deceptive audio | ||||||
5 | or visual media; | ||||||
6 | (2) a radio or television broadcasting station, | ||||||
7 | including a cable or satellite television operator, | ||||||
8 | programmer, or producer, when it is paid to broadcast a | ||||||
9 | deceptive and fraudulent deepfake and has made a good | ||||||
10 | faith effort to establish the depiction is not a deceptive | ||||||
11 | and fraudulent deepfake; | ||||||
12 | (3) a website, or a regularly published newspaper, | ||||||
13 | magazine, or other periodical of general circulation, | ||||||
14 | including an Internet or electronic publication, that | ||||||
15 | routinely carries news and commentary of general interest, | ||||||
16 | and that publishes materially deceptive audio or visual | ||||||
17 | media prohibited by this Section, if the publication | ||||||
18 | clearly states that the materially deceptive audio or | ||||||
19 | visual media does not accurately represent the speech or | ||||||
20 | conduct of the candidate; or | ||||||
21 | (4) materially deceptive audio or visual media that | ||||||
22 | constitutes satire or parody. | ||||||
23 | (f) The provisions of this Section are severable under | ||||||
24 | Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes. | ||||||
25 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
26 | becoming law. |