Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith deepfake video — Oct 2026
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch notified the Scott Colom for Senate campaign that AI-generated ads featuring a deepfake of Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith.
- Incident date
- Oct 28, 2026
- Source report date
- Oct 28, 2026
- Target
- Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith
On October 28, 2026, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch issued a formal notification to the Scott Colom for Senate campaign regarding the use of AI-generated advertisements on social media. The Attorney General stated that these materials appear to violate state laws prohibiting the use of deepfakes to influence election outcomes.
What happened
The Attorney General’s office identified two specific advertisements posted to the Scott Colom for Senate Facebook and Instagram accounts. These ads featured a deepfake of Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, which was disseminated within ninety days of an election without the senator's consent. According to the notification, the content was intended to injure the campaign's opponent and influence the election results.
Attorney General Fitch has demanded the immediate removal of the ads, warning that failure to comply could result in the office filing an injunction. Furthermore, because violations of Mississippi’s election integrity laws can carry criminal penalties, the campaign has been instructed to preserve all records related to the matter to avoid potential charges of obstruction of justice. Under Section 97-13-47 of the Mississippi Code, violations can result in significant fines and prison sentences, with penalties reaching up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines if the intent is to deter individuals from voting.