Good morning, Chairman Guthrie and committee members. My name is Kayla Dobson and I am speaking on behalf the League of Women Voters of Idaho and its members. We in the League are very supportive of HB664 and consider it a necessary, important, and timely step in updating current state codes regarding use of technology in electioneering.  

The mission of the League of Women Voters is to empower informed voters to participate in public life, especially elections. Our system of government cannot work as intended with mis- or disinformation. New technology can be used to create and spread anger, fear and hatred on a massive scale.

The rapid advances in deep-learning AI algorithms to synthesize video and audio content have made the production of “deep fakes” easy to produce and impossible to detect. Deep fakes can create misinformation and confusion about critical issues. They can be designed to harass, intimidate, and demean candidates, officials, and others. No one here is beyond the reach of this technology.   

Neither lawmakers nor voters can make informed decisions if they are misled and cannot discern what is real and what is not.    

Deep fakes are the technology version of “shouting fire in a crowded theatre.” That is not protected speech, and neither should deep fakes without guardrails. HB664 strikes a balance between the right of candidates to say what they want but requires that the voter is informed if content has been altered or manipulated. 

It is our hope that images will be added to statute next session as it is the most common form of electioneering in Idaho. 

The League of Women Voters of Idaho appreciates this bipartisan effort around video and audio and urges the committee to send HB664 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.  

Submitted on March 11, 2023 to the Idaho Senate State Affairs Committee