Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

These bills could make it easier to tell when influencers and AI are shilling for politicians

fastcompany.com · 14dShare

Political advertising disclosures in the U.S. used to be fairly simple. Since 2002, campaigns recorded commercials for television and radio that have been required to include information about who paid for them along with language that they “approve this message.” Political advertising today isn’t always that straightforward. Thanks to AI and paid influencers, plenty of political ads don’t follow that standard script anymore, leaving voters in the dark about what they’re seeing. Instead of just paid traditional ads slotted between commercial breaks on TV or in between songs on the radio that clearly identify themselves as advertising, it’s also digital content designed to stop you mid-scroll on social media. This content isn’t always real, and it certainly doesn’t always say who’s paying for it. A pair of bills introduced this week by a trio of California Democrats looks to change that. A new era of political ads California has faced these new, unconventional forms of political adverti

First report: Senate Democrat’s new bills would restrict AI-powered ads and paid influencers — semafor.com, 15d