California Governor Gavin Newsom has enacted a pioneering “deepfake” law following the release of a compelling and humorous parody video that ridiculed Kamala Harris’s candidacy, created by conservatives.
In a post on X, Newsom announced the bill’s signing after Elon Musk shared the video featuring a manipulated version of Harris’s voice.
I just signed a bill to make this illegal in the state of California.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 17, 2024
You can no longer knowingly distribute an ad or other election communications that contain materially deceptive content — including deepfakes. https://t.co/VU4b8RBf6N
Politico provides the complete details:
The new California law, set to take effect before the November election, addresses growing concerns over artificial intelligence’s potential to disrupt elections by spreading misinformation, as voters are increasingly faced with deepfake images and audio impersonating candidates. Musk, owner of X, fueled this discussion by sharing the AI-altered video of Harris in July, prompting Newsom’s public commitment to ban similar practices.
“I could care less if it was Harris or Trump,” Newsom told Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff during a conversation on Tuesday. “It was just wrong on every level.”
Newsom also signed a companion bill on Tuesday aimed at combating deepfakes by requiring platforms to remove such content when flagged by users, though this measure won’t take effect until next year. Additionally, he enacted a third bill mandating disclaimers on political ads that utilize AI.
According to the LA Times, the new law AB 2839 seeks to address manipulated content that could damage a candidate’s reputation or undermine public confidence in election outcomes, with exceptions for parody and satire. Under this legislation, candidates, election committees, or election officials can obtain court orders to have deepfakes removed and pursue legal action against those who distribute or republish deceptive materials for damages.
The other signed bills include AB 2655, which requires tech platforms to establish procedures for identifying, removing, and labeling fake content, exempting parody, satire, and certain qualifying news outlets. AB 2355 mandates that committees producing political ads disclose if the content was generated or significantly altered using AI.
As highlighted by the popular End Wokeness account, it is crucial that individuals avoid watching or sharing the controversial ad to comply with Newsom’s law.
Governor Newsom just signed AB-2655 in response to this meme going viral.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 18, 2024
The law could force đť•Ź to ban this video.
DO NOT MAKE IT GO VIRAL AGAIN.
pic.twitter.com/lk8Pnvs530
Ironically, Elon Musk has expressed support for a different bill currently advancing in the California legislature due to the potential risks that AI may pose in the future.
“This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill,” he admitted last month.
“For over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk to the public.”
This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2024
For over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk…
