In one paragraph
Not law. H 3517 would have barred anyone from distributing, within 90 days of an election, synthetic media they knew or should have known was a deceptive and fraudulent deepfake of a candidate on the ballot, unless it carried a disclosure that it was manipulated or generated by AI. Depicted candidates could have sought injunctions and damages; violations would have been a misdemeanor (up to 90 days or $500), and a felony for a repeat offense within five years. News coverage, paid broadcasters acting in good faith and satire were exempt. It never left the House Judiciary Committee before South Carolina's 2026 regular session ended.
Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.
What it means for business
None: the bill died, so it creates no obligations for campaigns or advertisers in South Carolina.
Key provisions
- Within 90 days of an election, no distributing synthetic media the distributor knows or should know is a deceptive and fraudulent deepfake of a candidate on the ballot
- Allowed if it carries the disclosure 'This (image, video, or audio) has been manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence', shown for the full video or spoken at the start, end and every two minutes of audio
- Deceptive and fraudulent deepfake: realistic but false media of a candidate, made to injure the candidate's reputation or deceive voters
- Depicted candidates may seek injunctions and damages against the sponsor, with attorney fees
- Misdemeanor: up to 90 days or $500; a second offense within five years is a felony (up to five years or $1,000)
- Exemptions for bona fide news coverage that flags doubts about authenticity, paid broadcasters acting in good faith, news publications that say the media is not accurate, and satire or parody
- Prefiled December 5, 2024; referred to the House Judiciary Committee January 14, 2025; no further action before the 2026 regular session ended
Latest legislative action
Jan 14, 2025. Referred to Committee on Judiciary; no further action before the 2026 regular session ended, and the sine die resolution (S. 883) does not allow it
Topics and industries
Related topics
Affected industries
This page is general information, not legal advice. Summaries are AI-assisted and may contain errors; read the statute for the controlling text and talk to a lawyer about your situation. Full disclaimer · Report an error