Mississippi AG Warns Senate Campaign Over Alleged Deepfake Ads, Demands Removal
Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi — Attorney General Lynn Fitch has notified Scott Colom and his U.S. Senate campaign, Scott Colom for Senate, that recent AI-generated ads posted by the campaign on their social media platforms appear to violate Mississippi's law against the use of “deepfakes” to influence elections. The Attorney General asked that the ads be removed or else her office may file an injunction as authorized by law.
The notification follows a complaint that two ads posted to the Scott Colom for Senate Facebook account and Scott Colom Instagram account are deepfakes disseminated by the campaign within ninety days of an election, without the consent of the digitized individual, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, and are intended to injure Colom's opponent and/or influence the results of the election.
As violations of this election integrity law can carry criminal penalties, Attorney General Fitch has also asked Colom and his campaign to preserve all records related to this matter so as not to obstruct justice.
Violations of Section 97-13-47 of the Mississippi Code carry penalties of up to 5 years in prison and/or fines of up to $10,000 if the intent is to “deter any person from voting.” Other violations carry penalties of up to 1 year in prison and/or fines of up to $5,000.
Election Day in the 2026 midterms is November 3. Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat is among those up for election this year, with incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith seeking re-election.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Jackson 的密西西比州议会大厦。CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
