SB121

South Dakota would create a new law making it illegal to distribute digitally manipulated images or videos of political candidates within 90 days before an election if done to damage their reputation or deceive voters, with exceptions for satire and parody. The restriction applies only to "materially deceptive media"—manipulated content realistic enough to fool a reasonable person into believing it shows the candidate's actual appearance or speech, but fundamentally different from the original. Anyone who knowingly or recklessly distributes such material could face legal penalties.