California governor Newsom targets AI-made election deepfakes

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed three bills to combat AI-generated deepfakes in election-related content. Starting immediately, it will be illegal to create or publish such materials within 120 days before Election Day and 60 days after. Newsom stated, "Safeguarding the integrity of elections is essential to democracy," emphasizing the need to prevent disinformation.

Large social media platforms will be required to remove these deceptive materials, and political campaigns must disclose AI-altered ads. These measures reaffirm California's leadership in AI regulation, particularly against election disinformation. The laws come amid nationwide concerns over manipulated content affecting public trust in the electoral process.