A new Michigan law imposes strict disclosure requirements—and penalties—on anyone paid to create or post political content on social media.
Most professional services owners in Michigan don't realize that if they're ever paid by a political committee to create or distribute social media content, they're now subject to a disclosure requirement with real financial teeth.
Michigan's SB1199, which amends the Michigan Campaign Finance Act (1976 PA 388), adds a new obligation buried in Section 59a(1)(a): any paid social media post supporting or opposing a candidate must include a specific disclaimer identifying who paid for it. The law applies to marketing agencies, freelance content creators, PR firms, and any other professional service provider who accepts payment from a political committee for this work.
Under Section 59a(1)(a), every social media post created or distributed for payment by a political committee must display a funder-disclosure disclaimer. The disclaimer must clearly identify the political committee that paid for the content. This applies whether you're the creator or the distributor—and whether the post supports or opposes a candidate.
The requirement is strict: the disclaimer must be embedded in each individual post. You cannot rely on a general disclosure elsewhere on your client's page or profile.
Violations carry civil fines that escalate quickly:
Critically, each distributed post counts as a separate violation. A campaign that distributes the same post across multiple platforms, or runs a series of posts without proper disclaimers, could face fines that multiply rapidly.
If you work in any of these areas, this matters:
The law doesn't require you to take political work. But if you do, you must ensure compliance—or your client faces the fines (though the responsibility to comply rests on both parties).
If you currently work with political committees or candidates on social media, review your contracts and workflows immediately. Confirm that every post includes the required funder disclaimer and that you understand what that disclaimer must say. If you're considering taking on political social media work, build compliance into your proposal and project management process from the start.
The bill does not specify an explicit effective date in the text, so it's prudent to assume the requirement is already in effect. Check with your state or local campaign finance authority if you need clarification on the exact disclaimer language required.
Source: Michigan SB1199, amending 1976 PA 388 (MCL 169.212, 169.243), adding Section 59a(1)(a).