New Mexico

Deepfake disclosure bill passes NM House – Source New Mexico

Published

10 months ago

February 13, 2024

Deepfake disclosure bill passes NM House – Source New Mexico

A proposal to require public disclosure whenever a political campaign in the state uses false information generated by artificial intelligence in a campaign advertisement gained approval from the New Mexico House of Representatives on Monday night.

After about an hour of debate, the House voted 38-28 to pass House Bill 182, which would amend the state’s Campaign Reporting Act to require political campaigns to disclose whenever they use artificial intelligence in their ads, and would make it a crime to use artificially-generated ads to intentionally deceive voters.

The bill’s latest version passed by the House specifies the disclaimer’s exact wording that must be present when AI is used for any campaign material. That disclaimer must read, “This (image/video/audio) has been manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence.”

To become law, HB 182 would still need to go through the committee process in the Senate, then a full Senate vote before the session adjourns at noon on Feb. 15. Then it would need to be signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

The bill would not entirely prohibit using artificial intelligence in campaign ads, however.

Candidates running for office in New Mexico must disclose whenever they knowingly publish a deceptive ad within three months of an election with the intent of changing voters’ behavior. If they don’t, the proposal would make publishing the ad a misdemeanor and penalties would increase for additional violations.

HB 182 got the go-ahead from the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee on Jan. 31. Eight days later, the House Judiciary Committee amended the proposal to further narrow the crime it creates to exclude things like media coverage of fake ads.

The committee clarified platforms like a radio station, newspaper, Facebook or Google would not violate the law if they publish, post or distribute fake ads so long as they tell the ad’s creator about the disclaimer requirement. House Majority Floor Leader Gail Chasey (D-Albuquerque), the bill’s sponsor, said that change came after she spoke to representatives from Google about the bill.

“The distributor, if you will — whoever is putting this together professionally — just has to have a policy that reflects our law, letting its customers know that this is not allowed,” Chasey told the House. “If the individual doesn’t follow the policy that the platform has adopted, then it’s the individual who is liable if they don’t follow the law.”

It’s not up to the platform to police ads, Chasey said, but rather the person harmed by the ad must complain to the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office, which would then either refer the issue to the state Ethics Commission or the New Mexico Department of Justice.

The Ethics Commission can also bring their own case against someone under the Campaign Reporting Act, she said.

The version amended out of the Judiciary Committee also requires the disclaimers be in the same language as the ad itself, such as Spanish or Diné, she said.

Rep. James Townsend (R-Artesia) asked if it would have been easier to simply eliminate the use of AI in campaign ads altogether but Chasey said no, because that would violate the First Amendment right to free speech.

“It just seems like we are setting up a very slippery slope for anyone who uses information that they may gather off of the web,” Townsend said. “It’s going to cause a lot of problems and most of the things that will be accused of being wrong, the election will be long gone and over, the damage will be done, before this is ever decided.”

If someone uses AI to depict someone doing something they didn’t actually do, what’s called a “deepfake,” then there must be a disclaimer, Chasey said.

“We’re not saying you can’t say it,” she said.

At least four other states including Michigan have passed similar legislation, Chasey said. Other states have tried to address deepfakes in different ways, she added.

Over half the states in the country are considering similar legislation, according to a bill tracker run by Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group that supports Chasey’s bill.

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Related Topics:AI in elections artificial intelligence campaign reporting deepfake deepfakes disinformation Election Elections Featured

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New Mexico

State issues violation notice as CRRUA delays for months fixing a water tank issue

Published

7 hours ago

December 18, 2024

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SUNLAND PARK, N. M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — The troubled water utility company that serves Sunland Park and Santa Teresa is on the defense as the state issued them a “Notice of Violation” as for months they’ve failed to fix a water tank issue.

On Tuesday, the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) issued an alert, saying that it is sending letters to its customers clarifying why they missed a deadline to install a splash pad at the Tierra Madre storage tank, a move that helps prevent ground erosion at the base of the water tank.

According to the New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) sanitary survey, the deadline for CRRUA to install that splash pad was May 31.

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Six months later CRRUA said that “addressing this issue is a priority,” and that it has secured a contractor to review the erosion, and that it is working with engineers to develop a “cost-effective approach” to control erosion at that water tank.

CRRUA said it expects to finish this correction sometime in 2025 and stressed that the issue does not impact the quality of its water.

Below you can find the “progress checklist” which details all the deficiencies NMED found at CRRUA (the “checkmark” means those issues have been addressed and the “P” means CRRUA is in the process of correcting those issues).

The splash pad at Tierra Madre Tank is deficiency number 50.

The original deadline to address the 58 deficiencies was Dec. 15, but NMED granted CRRUA an extension, giving them until June 15, 2025, to finish the checklist.

On Monday, CRRUA boasted it has resolved 91.3 percent of the deficiencies, saying it only has to address five more issues before it’s in full compliance with NMED standards.

CRRUA claims significant progress, says its 91% compliant with state standards

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New Mexico

Jason Eck introduced as New Mexico’s head football coach

Published

14 hours ago

December 18, 2024

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Jason Eck introduced as New Mexico’s head football coach

Dec. 17—Standing at the podium, Jason Eck spoke about his new opportunity as if he was pitching a recruit’s family instead of a room filled with vested supporters. “I don’t look at an 18-year-old young man graduating from high school as where he is right now — I see where he can be in a few years,” he said during a news conference. “And that’s how I look at this New Mexico football program.” …

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New Mexico

Strange laws in New Mexico, including trouble for tripping a horse

Published

22 hours ago

December 17, 2024

Press Room

Strange laws in New Mexico, including trouble for tripping a horse

Every state has its own unique, rather strange laws that make you wonder where they come from and why they are still there.

Some strange laws in states have since been repealed, or were never true laws after all, and rather just rumors that have circulated.

Though, there are weird laws that can be found in U.S. states with just a simple search.

Among the strange laws in New Mexico include ones involving tripping a horse and calling for a duel. (iStock)

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In New Mexico, some of the strangest laws include the playing of the national anthem as well as strict penalties for engaging in the tripping of a horse.

Read more about a handful of weird laws in New Mexico below.

New Mexico’s dueling law
Punishment for tripping a horse
No improper use of the national or state anthem

1. New Mexico’s dueling law

New Mexico still has a law that prohibits duels in the state.

An ancient duel was a planned fight between two individuals who engaged in combat to settle a disagreement.

New Mexico is one U.S. state that explicitly bans duels in law.

New Mexico explicitly describes and prohibits duels in state law. (Florilegius/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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Dueling law in the state is laid out in New Mexico Statutes Chapter 30. Criminal Offenses § 30-20-11, according to FindLaw.com.

In the law, the definition of a duel is described as consisting of a person “conveying by written or verbal message a challenge to any other person to fight a duel with any deadly weapon, and whether or not such duel ensues; accepting a challenge from another person to fight a duel with any deadly weapon, and whether or not such duel ensues; engaging in or fighting a duel with any deadly weapon; or aiding, encouraging or seconding either party to a duel and being present at such duel when deadly weapons are used.”

According to the statute, those who break the law are “guilty of a fourth degree felony.”

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2. Punishment for tripping a horse

One head-scratching law in New Mexico is one that involves the penalty for tripping a horse.

The details of this law can be found in New Mexico Statute § 30-18-11, according to Justia.com.

“Unlawful tripping of an equine consists of intentionally using a wire, pole, stick, rope or any other object to cause an equine to lose its balance or fall, for the purpose of sport or entertainment,” the law states.

Tripping a horse in New Mexico is against the law, and causing injury or death is a fourth-degree felony. (iStock)

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Under the law, an equine is described as a donkey, horse, pony, mule or a hinny.

“The provisions of Subsection A of this section do not apply to laying an equine down for medical or identification purposes,” the law also states.

Those who break this law will be guilty of a misdemeanor, though if the horse is injured as a result of the incident, the penalty becomes more severe.

“Whoever commits unlawful tripping of an equine that causes the maiming, crippling or death of the equine is guilty of a fourth degree felony,” according to the law.

WEIRD LAWS IN MASSACHUSETTS INCLUDING A $20 FINE, POSSIBLE JAIL TIME FOR FRIGHTENING A PIGEON

3. No improper use of the national or state anthem

Many U.S. states have laws that revolve around the national anthem. New Mexico is one example of a state with such a law.

In New Mexico, it is illegal to “improperly use” the national anthem or the New Mexico state anthem, “Oh Fair New Mexico.”

This law is written out in New Mexico Statute § 30-21-5, according to Justia.com.

Those who “improperly use” the national anthem, or the state anthem of New Mexico, are guilty of a petty misdemeanor, according to state law. (iStock)

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The law defines “improper use” as “singing, playing or rendering ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ or ‘Oh Fair New Mexico’ in any public place or assemblage in this state except as an entire or separate composition or number.”

Those who break the law are guilty of a petty misdemeanor.

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.

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