Scott Colom’s campaign pulls ads after warning from Attorney General
JACKSON, Miss. (WXXV) – Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch says the Scott Colom for Senate campaign removed AI-generated political advertisements from social media after receiving a warning that the content may violate state election law.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Fitch notified Scott Colom and his campaign Friday that two advertisements posted on the campaign’s Facebook and Instagram accounts appeared to violate Mississippi’s law regarding the use of political “deepfakes.”
The notice followed a complaint alleging the ads were AI-generated, distributed within 90 days of an election, and used the image or likeness of U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith without her consent. The complaint further alleged the ads were intended to influence the election and harm Colom’s opponent.
Fitch’s office warned that Mississippi law prohibits certain deepfake political advertisements and requested that the campaign remove the content. The Attorney General also asked the campaign to preserve all records related to the matter, noting that violations of the law can carry criminal penalties.
Later Friday, Fitch announced on social media that the ads had been removed.
“We notified the Scott Colom for Senate campaign that Mississippi law prohibits deepfake political ads. And we are pleased to announce that they have removed the ads from their social media,” Fitch wrote. “Election integrity is important and this office is committed to ensuring public trust in the electoral process.”
In a statement to WXXV, Scott Colom says “Cindy Hyde-Smith is clearly desperate and she and her allies are once again trying to weaponize the justice system to distract from the real issues, which is that she has sold out our farmers, sold out our small business, and sold out our families. Clearly this was parody, maybe too close to home because she knows she does love to hide from her own constituents and reporters. I’m honored to have received thousands of donations from working Mississippians who chipped in what they could because they are ready for change, and I will not waste those hard-earned dollars on costly litigation because unlike Cindy Hyde-Smith, my campaign is powered by everyday people. We are going to delete the post in the spirit of being good stewards of their money,”
The Attorney General’s Office said it could have sought an injunction under state law if the advertisements had remained online.
Violations of Section 97-13-47 of the Mississippi Code carry penalties of up to 5 years in prison and/or fines of up to $10,000 if the intent is to “deter any person from voting.” Other violations carry penalties of up 1 year in prison and/or fines of up to $5,000.
