Digital Readiness · Deepfakes

Where the law has caught up — and where it hasn't.

Every U.S. state, mapped against the topics moving fastest at the legislature. Click any state for the law and where enforcement actually stands.

Deepfakes

Texas

Limited or adjacent coverage.Stable.

Effective 2019-09-01 · 1 September 2019Next review by 2026-08-06 · 6 August 2026

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Sources

capitol.texas.govTexas SB 751 — deceptive video offense in elections

Why this status

Texas's SB 751 has been on the books since September 1, 2019 and is one of the older state deepfake rules in the country. It makes it a criminal offense to create and publish a realistic-looking fabricated video of a real person within 30 days of an election, with intent to influence the outcome. The rule is squarely about elections — Texas hasn't enacted a broader rule covering deepfakes outside that 30-day, intent-tied scope.

What this means

The protection is narrow but real: the criminal trigger is video, made and published within 30 days of an election, with intent to influence the outcome. That triple condition is intentional — and intentionally narrow.
The rule doesn't reach images, audio-only content, content outside the 30-day election window, or content where election-influencing intent isn't present.
There's nothing in SB 751 about platform obligations or specific minor protections — those concerns sit in adjacent Texas statutes, not in this law.

What to verify next

Read SB 751 on the Texas Legislature Online site for the exact 30-day window definition and the intent standard.
If you're concerned about a deepfake outside an election context — in a social feed, in a school setting, or directed at a private individual — Texas's SB 751 isn't the relevant rule. Federal protections and the platform's own content policy are where to look first.

How this was scored →

Public-source posture estimateNot legal adviceMap regenerated2026-05-08 · 8 May 2026