Maryland Election Law — Election Misinformation, Disinformation, and Deepfakes (SB 141)
Maryland · 2026 Md. Laws ch. 444 (SB 141)
This law makes it a crime to knowingly or with reckless disregard create, use, or disseminate a deepfake to produce materially false information in the election context. It also directs the State Administrator of Elections to publicly issue correct information when there is a credible report of election misinformation, and lets the State Board of Elections file a civil action. The prohibition does not apply to satire or parody or to bona fide news broadcasting.
Technical detail
2026 Md. Laws ch. 444 (SB 141) adds an Election Law prohibition on knowingly or recklessly creating, using, or disseminating a deepfake to produce materially false information, with satire/parody and bona fide news exemptions, and authorizes State Board of Elections civil action plus corrective public notices.
Who is protected: Maryland voters and the integrity of Maryland elections.
Who must comply: Any person who would create, use, or disseminate election-related deepfakes, subject to the satire/parody and news exemptions.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Maryland |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2026-06-01 |
| Enacted | 2026-05-12 |
| Citation | 2026 Md. Laws ch. 444 (SB 141) |
| Enforced by | State Administrator of Elections and State Board of Elections; state prosecutors and courts for criminal penalties. |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | A violation is a misdemeanor punishable on conviction by a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both. |
| Topics | deepfakes · election deepfakes |
| Last verified | 2026-06-16 |
| Official source | Maryland General Assembly — SB 141 (2026), Chapter 444 ↗ |
More AI rules in Maryland
- Maryland Online Data Privacy Act · In effect
- MD NCII Deepfake Law · In effect
- Maryland CSAM Law (computer-generated images) · In effect
- Maryland AI Governance Act (2024) · In effect
- Maryland HB 820 (AI in insurance utilization review) · In effect
- Maryland HB 1563 (AI-denial reporting) · In effect
Related deepfakes rules elsewhere
- TAKE IT DOWN Act · In effect
- TCPA (AI voice calls) · In effect
- DEFIANCE Act (deepfake-porn civil suits) · Proposed / pending
- SB 942 (AI Transparency Act) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- AB 2839 (Election Deepfakes) · Blocked / in litigation
- AB 602 (Deepfake Intimate Images) · In effect
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