Alberta Introduces Bill 23 to Combat AI Deepfakes and Modify Citizen Initiative Rules
Justice Minister Mickey Amery tabled Bill 23, the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, in the Alberta legislature on Monday, March 30, 2026. This comprehensive legislation proposes significant updates to four existing laws, with a primary focus on addressing the growing threat of artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes and implementing new restrictions on citizen-led initiatives.
Prohibition of Deceptive Deepfake Media
The bill introduces strict prohibitions against creating or distributing deepfake media that could potentially mislead voters about political figures and election officials. This prohibition applies at all times, not just during election cycles, reflecting the persistent nature of digital misinformation threats.
"We know that deepfake technology is going to continue to improve, and the distinction between what is reality and what is fake is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish," Amery stated during the announcement.
The legislation specifically targets deepfakes that could mislead voters about:
- Party leaders and ministers
- Leadership or nomination contestants
- MLA candidates
- The chief electoral officer and election commissioner
- Elections Alberta employees and election officers
Enforcement Mechanisms and Penalties
Under the proposed legislation, the election commissioner would have authority to issue directives to stop the distribution, publishing, or creation of prohibited deepfakes when individuals or entities fail to comply. The enforcement framework includes substantial financial penalties:
- Maximum fine of $10,000 for individuals in violation
- Maximum fine of $100,000 for entities in violation
- Fines that can be imposed for each day of non-compliance
Amery indicated that Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish will be introducing additional legislation specifically addressing deepfake technology, with Glubish aiming to have that legislation ready by fall 2026.
Changes to Citizen Initiative Process
Bill 23 represents the third amendment to the Citizen Initiative Act and the second amendment to the Recall Act. The legislation introduces significant timing restrictions on citizen-led petitions:
Citizen initiative petitions would be prohibited from starting or continuing during the period extending from 12 months before to 12 months after a general election.
"We want voters to be able to weigh in on election matters during elections without having citizen-led initiatives stand in the way of that," Amery explained regarding the timing restrictions.
Referendum Deadlines and Scrutineer Appointments
The proposed amendments would modify deadlines for holding referendums on successful policy or constitutional proposals. Officials clarified the new timeline requirements:
- If deadlines are more than a year until the next general election, the referendum must be held on or before that general election
- If deadlines are less than a year from the next general election, the referendum must be held either before or after the next general election
Additionally, the legislation would allow both the justice minister and petition proponents to appoint scrutineers—specifically lawyers—to oversee the verification of petition signatures for both citizen-led initiatives and recall petitions. This represents a new layer of oversight designed to ensure the integrity of the petition verification process.
Context and Previous Amendments
The introduction of Bill 23 follows previous changes to Alberta's citizen initiative framework, including a recent increase in the application fee for citizen-led initiatives to $25,000, implemented to discourage what officials described as "frivolous applications." The province has also imposed restrictions on political party names and created pathways for separatist referendums in earlier legislative actions.
As artificial intelligence technology continues to advance rapidly, Alberta's proposed legislation represents one of the most comprehensive attempts by a Canadian province to address the electoral implications of deepfake media while simultaneously modifying the citizen initiative process to better align with election cycles.
