Sen deepfake video — Oct 2026
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch ordered the Scott Colom for Senate campaign to remove AI-generated ads depicting Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith for.
- Incident date
- Oct 23, 2026
- Source report date
- Oct 23, 2026
- Target
- Sen. Hyde-Smith
On October 23, 2026, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch issued a formal notification to the Scott Colom for Senate campaign, demanding the immediate removal of AI-generated video advertisements featuring Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. The Attorney General stated that the content appeared to violate state laws prohibiting the use of political deepfakes intended to influence election outcomes.
What happened
The controversy centered on an AI-generated video clip posted to the campaign's social media platforms, which reportedly depicted Senator Hyde-Smith running from reporters. The Mississippi Republican Party filed a formal complaint regarding the content, prompting the Attorney General to intervene.
Attorney General Fitch set a deadline of 3 p.m. on Friday, October 23, for the removal of the ads, warning that failure to comply could result in the office filing an injunction. Under Section 97-13-47 of the Mississippi Code, violations involving the intent to deter individuals from voting can carry significant legal consequences, including fines of up to $10,000 and potential prison sentences of up to five years. While Democratic analyst Brandon Jones characterized the legal action as political, the AI-generated video was removed from the Scott Colom for Senate Facebook page by Friday afternoon.