Chilean legislative and investigative actions on digital bot

In Chile, legislative efforts have moved toward addressing digital manipulation in political processes. Initially, Deputy Jaime Bassa introduced a bill to amend Law 21,459, which seeks to criminalize the coordinated use of automated accounts or bots to manipulate public debate and influence elections. The proposal includes penalties such as prison sentences and fines for those organizing or funding such networks.

Following these legislative efforts, the Chilean Chamber of Deputies approved a Special Investigative Commission to examine the use of bots, trolls, and other digital manipulation mechanisms in electoral and plebiscite processes dating back to 2020. This commission follows the ‘Cerimedo case,’ involving allegations of links between international consultants and local political actors to deploy mass disinformation. While President José Antonio Kast denied that strategist Fernando Cerimedo serves as a government advisor, evidence regarding potential computer crimes has been referred to the Public Ministry.

Expanding on these efforts, a new legislative proposal, Bulletin No. 18.669-06, has been submitted to the Chamber of Deputies to regulate artificial intelligence, synthetic content, and automated accounts during elections and plebiscites. The project aims to protect electoral integrity by preventing deception, impersonation, and artificial amplification. Key measures include the mandatory labeling of synthetic content and required declarations to the Electoral Service (Servel). Violations could result in fines of up to 300 UTM. The regulation focuses on behaviors that might mislead a reasonable person into perceiving synthetic media as authentic, though it specifies it does not intervene in the actual veracity or content of messages.