Election Commission Takes Step Toward Campaign Deepfake Rules

The Federal Election Commission unanimously advanced a petition requesting it to regulate “deepfakes” in political campaign advertisements, for the first time soliciting public comment on the AI-generated hyper-realistic media.

The move opens the path for the agency that oversees federal elections to weigh in one of the most complex issues facing modern election administration. Researchers warn that deepfake media could be used to mislead voters. Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign released images of former President Donald Trump embracing his ex-chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci that, according to forensic experts, are almost certainly deepfakes.

The FEC’s vote ...