Elon Musk’s social media app X has filed a lawsuit in California to stop new laws that require big online platforms to reduce or label dishonest election content.
The complaint, filed in federal court this year, targets a legislation that aims to fight damaging videos, pictures and music that have been altered or created with , artificial intelligence. Known as , deepfakes, this type of content can make it appear as if a person said or did something they did n’t. The legislation is expected to become effective on January 1.
Assembly Bill 2655 , was one of three bills , California Gov. Gavin Newsom , signed into law this year to address growing concerns about deepfakes ahead of the 2024 U. S. national vote. California’s politicians have been working to reduce the potential risks of technology, but they have also been met with criticism from prominent tech executives who are skeptical of efforts to restrict customers ‘ online speech.
After Newsom and Musk exchanged online videos of Vice President Kamala Harris altering what the Democrat said in one of her campaign ads, the emphasis was on poll deepfakes. Republican , Donald Trump, who had Musk’s strong support in his effective work to regain the president, even posted photoshopped images of , Taylor Swift , that falsely suggested the superstar had endorsed him.
According to X, the new legislation will cause social media sites to move toward removing legitimate poll information out of caution.
According to the complaint,” This method will unavoidably lead to the censorship of a lot of important political speech and commentary.”
The lawsuit contends that the law violates Section 230 of the U.S. Constitution and free speech provisions in federal laws, which exempt online platforms from responsibility for user-generated content. X, which , moved its headquarters , from San Francisco to Texas this time, is suing California Atty. Gen. To stop the rules, Rob Bonta and Shirley Weber, the secretary of state.
A Bonta director stated in a statement that the California Department of Justice has been and will continue to rapidly support AB 2655 in jury.
X did n’t immediately respond to a request for comment, and the secretary of state’s office said the agency does n’t comment on pending litigation.
Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, said in a declaration that he had contacted X representatives to get feedback on the policy before the lawmakers cast their ballots.
” I had hoped that the parliamentary approach may be constructive with me.” When they did n’t, I was n’t surprised. I submit to the Court on any claims”, Berman said in a speech.
The Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024, as amended by Newsom’s business, exempts movie and comedy from the legislation. The president’s office said it’s convinced the state does succeed in court.
” Deepfakes threaten the integrity of our votes, and these new regulations protect our politics while preserving free talk — in a way no more demanding than those in other states, including deep-red Alabama and Mississippi”, Tara Gallegos, a spokeswoman for the government, said in a statement.
However, X asserts that there are no definitive answers for social media companies regarding whether a patient’s article was intended in jest, noting that there are also opinions on Harris ‘ AI-altered video.
X along with social media companies such as Facebook’s family business Meta, TikTok and Google-owned YouTube have laws about manipulated advertising. People are prohibited from sharing deceptive manipulated press that could cause harm by X ‘s , according to rules , and that some articles may be labeled in some cases.
Musk has declared himself a “free talk absolutist,” but the company’s strategy is to stifle probably offensive content rather than to remove them. But, authorities, civil rights organizations and people have criticized social media platforms, including X, for not doing enough to maintain their own regulations.
The laws passed in the weeks leading up to this season’s election were intended to strengthen one that California now had, which prohibits distribution of false audio or visual media intended to damage a president’s reputation or confuse a voting within several weeks of an election.
In October, a federal judge blocked another of those laws,  , Assembly Bill 2839,  , while a legal problem to it plays out. That law may prevent the circulation of false campaign ads or “election communication” within 120 days of an election.
Additionally, X has previously attempted to thwart new California laws that pertain to social media platforms. Last year, Musk sued over another , state law , that requires platforms to disclose how they moderate content.  , X , failed to block AB 587 but then won an , appeal , in September.
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