Missouri House Passes Sweeping Bill Targeting AI Deepfakes and Teen Social Media
Missouri lawmakers advance comprehensive AI and social media legislation with felony penalties for deepfakes and new restrictions on teen platform access.
JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI — The Missouri House of Representatives passed legislation Monday targeting artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes and restricting social media access for minors, advancing the bill to the state Senate by a vote of 145 to 3.
The legislation, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Wendy Hausman of St. Peters, combines bills offered by at least 10 lawmakers and addresses a range of digital media concerns. House Bill 1887 would establish felony penalties for malicious use of AI-generated content while implementing strict age verification requirements for social media platforms.
Deepfake Penalties and Criminal Charges
Under the proposed law, sharing or threatening to share AI-generated or other digitally manipulated depictions of someone to harass, threaten or harm them would constitute a felony offense. Violators would face a maximum penalty of four years in prison, with the maximum sentence increasing to 10 years if the image depicts a minor.
“This bill draws a bright line,” Hausman said during debate last week. “If you intentionally use AI to harm, deceive or exploit, there are consequences.”
Social Media Platform Requirements
The legislation would require social media platforms to implement age verification measures preventing youth under 16 from creating accounts. Parents would gain oversight capabilities for social media use by 16- and 17-year-olds under the proposed requirements.
Social media companies would be prohibited from targeting minors with paid advertising or employing what the bill terms “addictive or manipulative design features.” These banned features include “infinite scroll” mechanisms and auto-playing content without time limits.
AI Mental Health Restrictions
The bill also targets individuals and companies developing or distributing AI technology to the public. These entities would be barred from advertising their products as mental health professionals or as capable of providing therapy or mental health diagnoses.
Violations of the mental health provisions would carry penalties of $10,000 for first offenses and $20,000 for subsequent violations. The measure is part of broader efforts to regulate AI technology’s role in healthcare and therapeutic services.
Hausman described the legislation as an effort to protect Missourians from the potential dangers of artificial intelligence technology. The bill now advances to the Missouri Senate for consideration, where it will face additional legislative review before potentially becoming law.
The legislation reflects growing nationwide concerns about AI technology’s impact on privacy, youth safety, and digital manipulation. Missouri joins several other states considering similar measures to address the emerging challenges posed by rapidly advancing artificial intelligence capabilities.
