Deepfakes Heatmap

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.

• 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.

• 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.