Texas House Passes Bill That Criminalizes Using Altered Media in Political Ads Without Disclosure

Political memes are one of the few things that make keeping up with this whole charade worth it. But now, legislators are fighting back. Recently, the Texas House passed a bill that would criminalize using altered media like memes without disclosure in political ads. Earlier this year, former House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) introduced HB 366, which requires political ads to disclose when they use content that “did not occur in reality.” This altered media includes images, audio, video, and AI-generated content. Without a disclosure, the distributors could face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000. The law would not apply to everybody. Instead, it focuses on politicians, including candidates or current officeholders, entities or individuals that spend over $100 on political advertising, and anyone who publishes or distributes such content for compensation. Additionally, it doesn’t apply to media that has only been superficially changed, like adjusting the brightness or contra ... Read full article.