by Key takeaways
- The California law that requires major web platforms to take action against political misinformation is being opposed by X.
- According to Elon Musk’s social media platform, the law will violate First Amendment rights by causing widespread censorship.
- The act addresses the threat posed by AI content and is part of a package of laws approved by the governor of California.
Elon Musk’s company, X, has filed a lawsuit to overturn California law AB2655, which attempts to impose limitations on big web publishers’ ability to identify or eliminate election-related AI deepfakes.
As first reported by Bloomberg, Elon Musk’s social media company, formerly known as Twitter, has responded by arguing that the law violates free speech rights and is unconstitutional.
Other platform criteria included in the law, which is sometimes referred to as the “Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024,” are deemed excessive by Elon Musk’s X. It suggests creating mechanisms for reporting misleading political content and giving elected officials the ability to request injunctions if the social media site violates the law.
X claims that the bill will result in widespread repression of political expression in a filing filed late Thursday with the federal court in Sacramento.
First Amendment protections for speech critical of the political class and government authority, including “tolerance for potentially false speech,” were asserted in the 65-page complaint.
Additional Measures Taken by California and Governor Newsom to Prevent Negative AI Use
Notably, a broadcasting station and a regularly published online newspaper, magazine, or other periodical of general circulation that meets certain conditions would be immune from the bill’s restrictions.
Content that is satirical or parodic would not be taken into consideration under AB2655.
On September 17, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law. It was one of several pieces of legislation that addressed the growing use of AI to produce sexually explicit deepfakes and other misinformation.
A federal judge ordered a preliminary injunction against AB2655 and others that Newsom had authorized the next day.
