Deepfakes Heatmap

Montana SB 25 was enacted by the 69th Legislature in 2025 and is codified in Title 13, Chapter 35 of the Montana Code Annotated. The law prohibits anyone working in an official election capacity from paying for or distributing AI-generated deepfakes of candidates or political parties in election communications during the 60 days before a vote, unless the content carries a specific disclosure statement.

• The rule is squarely about election windows — the 60-day window before a vote is what triggers coverage. It doesn't reach deepfakes in everyday family or school contexts.
• Aggrieved candidates or parties have a civil path: they can seek a court order to stop the communication and recover costs and damages. That injunctive path is alongside the administrative complaint route.
• Repeated findings can escalate to misdemeanor or felony charges — but the front-line enforcement runs through the Commissioner of Political Practices, not through criminal prosecution by default.

• Read Montana SB 25 (Title 13, Chapter 35) on the Montana Code Annotated for the exact definition of "election communications" and the disclosure-statement requirements.
• If you're concerned about a deepfake outside an election context, this Montana rule isn't the relevant one. Federal protections and the platform's own content policy are where to look first.