Hawaii digital reality posture profile
This page summarizes six tracked digital safety topics for Hawaii, showing where public legislative coverage currently looks more proactive, more reactive, broader, or thinner. It is a structural posture signal based on public disclosures, not a political or legal grade.
Last reviewed May 13, 2026.
Educational summary only
Not legal advice. Laws and enforcement change frequently. Verify current official statutes, regulations, and counsel where needed.
Overall state posture signal
Reactive-leaning posture with narrow tracked coverage.
Based on six tracked topics and public disclosures.
Posture meter
Lean and breadth across six tracked topics. Not a quality or political score.
Lean
Reactive-leaning
Breadth
Narrow tracked coverage
Hawaii Deepfakes law summary
Based on proposed legislation or active legislative development.
Hawaii is considering HB 2137, currently at conference draft 1 (CD 1), that would prohibit knowingly publishing a highly realistic AI-generated depiction of a real person — using their face, voice, or likeness — without that person's written permission. As written, the bill provides civil remedies (court orders, damages up to $25,000 per advertisement, attorneys' fees) and carves out parody, satire, news reporting, documentaries, and educational expression. The bill had not been signed as of the May 5, 2026 review, so no new state rule applies in Hawaii today.
Educational summary only
Not legal advice. Laws and enforcement change frequently. Verify current official statutes, regulations, and counsel where needed.
Why this status
Based on proposed legislation or active legislative development.
What this means
- There is no Hawaii deepfake rule in force today — only existing federal law and platform policies apply.
- The bill, if enacted, would reach beyond elections: it covers AI-generated depictions used in advertising, ones that cause reputational or financial harm, or ones used to commit fraud or harassment.
- Parody, satire, news, documentaries, and educational use are written into HB 2137 as recognized exceptions — the bill isn't drafted as a blanket ban.
What to do next
- Watch HB 2137 on the Hawaii State Legislature site to see if the conference draft clears both chambers and is signed.
- If it passes, the operative date will be on the enrolled act — that's the date this card will move to a colored in-effect status.
Citation-grade sources
Official sources
1Hawaii HB 2137 CD1 — deepfakes and AI synthetic media
Official textCitation: HB 2137 CD1 (33rd Leg., 2026)
Observed: 2026-05-05Conference Draft 1 (C.D. 1) text retrieved directly from Hawaii State Legislature. Bill has not yet been signed into law; no enrolled act or governor signature date appears in the source text.
Open source
Provenance
Source basis
Official links still being curated
Confidence
Medium confidence
Review scope
Review centered on currently tracked state-level law
Last reviewed
May 8, 2026
References
Hawaii HB 2137 CD1 — deepfakes and AI synthetic media
Conference Draft 1 (C.D. 1) text retrieved directly from Hawaii State Legislature. Bill has not yet been signed into law; no enrolled act or governor signature date appears in the source text.
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