Capitol leaders introduced legislation that would force political advertisers to disclose when audio or video has been synthetically generated or materially altered. Platforms would face penalties if they fail to remove proven deceptive deepfakes within defined time limits.

Supporters say the measure is overdue, pointing to recent incidents where fabricated clips circulated widely before fact-checkers could respond. Critics warn about overreach and argue that enforcement could chill satire or legitimate edits.

Election officials are also pushing for a parallel investment in public resilience: media literacy campaigns, faster public advisories, and a single reporting hotline that routes complaints to the right agencies.