Sunshine Sentinel

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor DeSantis signed into law House Bill (HB) 919, which fails to properly protect Floridians from manipulated information created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in political advertising.

In response to the signing, Amy Keith, Executive Director of Common Cause Florida, expressed disappointment, stating, "Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature missed an opportunity to protect voters from the threats presented by AI and deepfakes in our elections."

Keith further criticized the bill, highlighting that "The disclaimer required by this bill is weak and unclear and fails to adequately inform Floridians of the dangerous disinformation to which they’re exposed." She also pointed out the lack of a safety valve to take down manipulated and misleading political advertisements promptly, leaving Florida voters without meaningful protection.

"The Legislature opted for the weakest possible approach, which fails to safeguard Floridians from these kinds of falsehoods," Keith emphasized. She added, "It is important for Floridians to know that if they see the disclaimer 'Created in whole or in part with the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)' on a political advertisement, they are likely looking at manipulated information or something that did not actually occur."

Closing her statement, Keith asserted, "No eligible Florida voter should be deprived of their right to vote due to confusion, manipulation, or intimidation." Despite the perceived shortcomings of the new law, she pledged to continue educating Floridians, combating election disinformation, and working to protect all voters across the state.