Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed a bill into law that regulates election-related deepfakes on social media, as the state eyes regulations to rapidly evolving artificial intelligence.
The bill approved on Tuesday forbids someone to be able “with malice, knowingly distribute an advertisement or other election communication containing materially deceptive content,” including deepfakes, of a candidate running for office, for the 120 days before Election Day and the 60 days after. The legislation allows courts to block the spread of content violating the law and allow civil penalties to be levied.
Newsom said the measure, alongside another bill he signed into law to protect the digital likeness of performers, are part of state efforts to combat the use of AI for malicious intent.
“Safeguarding the integrity of elections is essential to democracy, and it’s critical that we ensure AI is not deployed to undermine the public’s trust through disinformation – especially in today’s fraught political climate,” Newsom said in a statement.
“These measures will help to combat the harmful use of deepfakes in political ads and other content, one of several areas in which the state is being proactive to foster transparent and trustworthy AI,” he added.
After signing the bill into law, Newsom also pointed to repost from X owner Elon Musk of a video featuring a deepfake of Vice President Kamala Harris, from July, saying the new law bans the distribution of those types of videos.