Deepfakes Heatmap

Michigan's Public Act 265 of 2023 (HB 5144) was approved by the Governor on November 30, 2023 and filed with the Secretary of State on December 1, 2023. The law creates penalties for distributing materially deceptive media in elections — including digitally altered images and AI-generated audio — and provides a court process to enjoin such media.

• The rule is squarely about election contexts — it doesn't reach deepfakes in everyday family, school, or general consumer settings. Other Michigan statutes would be the relevant rule for those uses.
• Both penalty and injunctive paths exist: penalties apply for distributing materially deceptive media, and a court order can be sought to stop further distribution before harm is done.
• Companion bills HB 5141–5143 and 5145 from the same package may add coverage in adjacent areas — those move on a separate track from PA 265 and are worth watching alongside this one.

• Read Public Act 265 of 2023 on the Michigan Legislature's site for the exact definitions of "materially deceptive media" and the procedural path to enjoin distribution.
• If you're concerned about a deepfake outside an election context, this rule isn't the relevant one — federal protections and the platform's own content policy are where to look first.