With AI deepfakes on the rise, Mississippi lawmakers are making an effort to pass bills that would make it illegal to create and profit from such deepfakes.
One bill introduced by lawmakers was Senate Bill 2046, which will give Mississippians the right to name, image and voice. The Mississippians’ Right to Name, Likeness, and Voice Act will establish legal penalties for creating fake or manipulated AI-generated content using someone else’s identity without consent.
Sen. Branford Blackmon, a Democrat from Canton and one of the bill’s sponsors, says the bill passed the Senate in its last session but is being reintroduced alongside a mirror-image bill.
“We’ve seen many cases where our children in our elementary school, our middle and our high schools, and our colleges have had their likeness digitally altered in videos and images,” said Blackmon. “Often with damaging and long-lasting effects.”
Just last year, a former Mississippi Middle school teacher pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography after he was accused of creating explicit videos using students.
In previous years, Mississippi passed two laws that regulate AI use in the state. With the bills addressing the use of deepfakes in political campaigns.
The bill states that if anyone is penalized, they will face a 5,000 dollar fine if no money was made. If someone profited, they would have to forfeit all of it.
“If anyone were to create a cloning service for a strict purpose of manipulating name, likeness, and voice, the penalty starts at a 5,000 fine,” said Blackmon.
The advancement of AI and ever-growing concerns of deepfakes have led to many legislations across the country. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2025 that urged a consolidated national approach to AI regulation and allowed the U.S. Attorney to challenge state AI laws.
Blackmon still emphasizes the stack of this matter.
“This is not theoretical. These are real kids, real classrooms facing real consequences from fake content,” said Blackmon.
If the bill is approved, this will grant every Mississippian the right to their image, name, voice, and likeness.
