California Governor Newsom signs three bills outlawing AI political ads, “related to elections 120 days before Election Day and 60 days thereafter,” at a Salesforce event this week.
“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 press release. “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.”
One of the new laws requires platforms to remove or label AI election-related content, and to provide a way for visitors to report suspicious content. It also authorizes candidates, government officials, and campaigns to pursue legal action against platforms in violation of the law.
