New law on digital alteration of campaign media comes into play with Mike Braun ad

Indiana’s new law governing how political candidates digitally alter campaign materials has come into play with Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun.

Braun released an attack ad against Democrat Jennifer McCormick that manipulated a photo of a McCormick campaign rally into a false image.

A 2024 law, HEA 1133, requires ads that do that to include a disclaimer. Braun’s video initially didn’t; it was added later on.

But the new law doesn’t ban campaigns from manipulating photos. Daniel Weiner, Brennan Center for Justice elections and government program director, said that’s not necessarily a bad thing — he supports targeted bans of AI, and digital alterations and manipulations in campaign materials.

“For instance, AI of an election official telling people to vote on Wednesday,” Weiner said. “I don’t think that sort of communication has any redeeming value and I think it probably should be prohibited.”

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Weiner said it can be hard to identify altered images and videos without a disclaimer. He advises voters to check other sources before believing what they see in a single ad.

“If something seems implausible or if it seems like it’s getting an extreme emotional reaction from you, it’s always good to take a breath and stop and think,” Weiner said.

Indiana's law allows candidates who were depicted in AI-generated media without the disclaimer to file a civil lawsuit against the people who paid or sponsored it.

McCormick’s campaign called Braun’s ad a “dishonest distraction.”
 

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.