The bill introduces new regulations to combat the dissemination of deceptive and fraudulent synthetic media that could influence election outcomes. It defines "synthetic media" as realistic but false representations created through digital technology, and prohibits the reckless dissemination of such media during the election period, which spans 90 days before an election until election day, unless proper disclosures are made. Key provisions require that manipulated audio recordings include a clear spoken disclosure at the beginning, end, and every two minutes for longer recordings, while video recordings must display a written statement throughout their duration indicating manipulation by artificial intelligence.

Additionally, the bill establishes civil penalties for violations of these disclosure requirements, with fines ranging from $1,000 for general violations to $10,000 for repeat offenses or those intended to incite violence. It allows individuals harmed by violations to pursue civil action and grants the Ohio elections commission the authority to impose administrative fines. The bill inserts a new section, 3517.24, into the law to specifically address the regulation of synthetic media and amends existing sections to clarify enforcement and penalties, while repealing outdated provisions related to these matters.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 3517.153, 3517.154, 3517.155, 3517.993, 3599.40