Ballotpedia's just-published report finds almost half of all deepfake bills enacted so far this year had bipartisan sponsorship.

Middleton, Wisconsin--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2026) - Every state except Ohio and New Mexico now has laws addressing sexually explicit deepfakes, according to Ballotpedia's third annual report on state deepfake legislation. Overall, states have enacted 58 deepfake-related bills so far in 2026, down from 64 by this point last year.

Deepfake laws have advanced with support from both parties, and almost half of this year's enacted bills were sponsored by both parties.

Why it matters: Deepfakes - AI-generated video, images, or audio - are now a common topic of state policymaking, with new laws addressing everything from elections to child safety to fraud. Ballotpedia's Artificial Intelligence Deepfake Legislation Tracker, launched in 2024, provides the most comprehensive, real-time view of that activity.

By the numbers:

• 58 bills enacted in 2026 (vs. 64 by this date in 2025), led by:
  • 33 bills on sexually explicit deepfakes - the top category
  • 9 bills on political communications
  • 8 bills regulating tech entities
• 48 states have passed laws addressing sexually explicit deepfakes, up from 46 at the beginning of 2026
• 33 states have passed laws addressing political deepfakes, up from 28 at the beginning of the year
• 43 states introduced or carried over deepfake bills this year; New York led with 40 bills
• 244 deepfake bills have been enacted nationwide since 2019

The details: Most states with political deepfake laws exempt content with a disclosure statement. Four states have passed laws that don't. One of California's deepfake laws is a case in point. A federal judge struck it down in 2025, and the state has appealed to the 9th Circuit.

What they're watching: Lawmakers and advocates are weighing real harms, including election disinformation, fraud, harassment, and national security, against free speech protections and legitimate uses of AI.

The bottom line: Concern about deepfakes crosses party lines, but states are responding in a variety of ways. Ballotpedia's tracker allows users to search by 19 different categories - from bills creating private causes of action to those establishing watermark or provenance data requirements - and watch bill progression in real time.

Go deeper: Full report and state-by-state data at Ballotpedia's State of Deepfake Legislation 2026 Annual Report.

About Ballotpedia Legislation Trackers
Ballotpedia's legislation trackers provide a free, centralized hub (no login or sign-up required) that makes it easy to stay on top of legislation and legislative reforms across all 50 states. Founded on Ballotpedia's hallmark principle of being neutral on the issues, but passionate about the facts, our legislation trackers are updated in real time and designed to be easily searchable. Used as a go-to resource by voters, reporters, researchers, academics, and activists, they capture any bill introduced on the given topic across all 50 state legislatures and track bill movement every step of the way.

About Ballotpedia in the AI Era
As voters increasingly turn to search engines and AI assistants to learn who and what is on their ballot, Ballotpedia has become a source those tools cite most. A recent report found it among the most common sources AI tools cite in response to political questions. Because Ballotpedia's content is researched, written, and verified by professional editorial staff and cannot be edited by candidates or campaigns, it remains information that voters and AI systems alike can trust.

About Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia, the encyclopedia of American politics, is the nation's most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections, and policy. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a small group of dedicated volunteers working on a handful of ballot measures to an essential resource for voters, media, and researchers. Ballotpedia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in creating an educated, engaged electorate and building a strong, healthy democracy. For free access to 700,000+ encyclopedic, professionally authored, and curated articles, visit Ballotpedia.org.

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