{"id":2349955,"date":"2024-10-03T11:42:01","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T15:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-blocks-californias-new-deepfake-law-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-10-03T11:45:09","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T15:45:09","slug":"judge-halts-californias-new-deepfake-law-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-halts-californias-new-deepfake-law-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge halts California&#8217;s new deepfake law &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjudge-halts-californias-new-deepfake-law-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2349955&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sidney-powell-is-an-american-legal-giant\/\" title=\"Sidney Powell Is an American Legal Giant\">federal judge<\/a> has blocked California&#8217;s \u200bnew deepfake law aimed at preventing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-liberal-truth-brigade-has-ties-to-billionaire-who-peddled-disinformation\/\" title=\"New Liberal \u2018Truth Brigade\u2019 Has Ties to Billionaire Who Peddled Disinformation\">political disinformation<\/a>, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom just \u200btwo weeks prior. The ruling came as a\u2062 response \u2064to a lawsuit from Chris Kohls, known as &#8220;Mr. \u2063Reagan,&#8221; who created a viral AI-generated video mimicking Vice President Kamala Harris. The judge, John A. Mendez, ruled that the\u200b law overly suppressed political speech, stating it\u2064 functioned &#8220;as a hammer\u200b instead of a scalpel,&#8221;\u200b and was\u200c too\u2064 broad,\u2064 potentially hindering satire \u2064and parody. While some provisions, like those requiring verbal disclosure of altered \u2064audio content, were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/united-airlines-to-let-workers-who-didnt-get-covid-vax-return-to-work\/\" title=\"United Airlines to Let Workers Who Didn\u2019t Get COVID Vax Return to Work\">deemed reasonable<\/a>, the law as \u2064a \u2064whole \u200cwas criticized for its \u200dexcessive \u200dreach. Kohls&#8217;s attorney\u2062 expressed satisfaction with the ruling, emphasizing the importance of protecting parody under the \u2062First Amendment. The situation\u200c underscores the\u200c debate about balancing election integrity with\u2063 free speech in the era of advanced AI technology.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Judge blocks California&rsquo;s new deepfake law<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1774127\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A federal judge blocked an artificial intelligence deepfake <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https:\/\/digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org\/bills\/ca_202320240ab2839&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjO9qOlvPKIAxXSEGIAHbdHAx8QFnoECBQQAQ&amp;usg=AOvVaw1__gQ1G83TlDyMLzq165TX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>law<\/a> Wednesday that protects against political disinformation just two weeks after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gavin-newsom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Gov. Gavin Newsom<\/a> (D-CA) signed it into law.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) speaks during a press conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo\/Eric Thayer, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The ruling is the result of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/technology\/3159860\/kamala-harris-ai-video-creator-sues-california-newsom-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>lawsuit<\/a> <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">filed by Chris Kohls, known as &ldquo;Mr Reagan&rdquo; on X. Kohls is the original poster of an AI video that replicated Vice President&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kamala Harris&rsquo;<\/a>s voice an<\/span>d went viral on X this summer. The video caught Newsom&rsquo;s attention and prompted him to create the law. X owner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/elon-musk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Elon Musk<\/a> reposted the video, making it even more widespread.<\/p>\n<p>Kohls argued in the lawsuit that the video was a parody and was, therefore, protected by the First Amendment. Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez agreed that the law suppressed political speech.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Most of [the law] acts as a hammer instead of a scalpel,&rdquo; Mendez wrote, calling it &ldquo;a blunt tool hinders humorous expression and unconstitutionally stifles the free and unfettered exchange of ideas.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The law was found to be too broad, reaching past defamation and claiming satire and parodies could be harmful to an election. Simpler requirements, such as mandatory labeling, could fix portions of the law that are overreaching.<\/p>\n<p>The judge recognized that there are important areas of the law, such as the requirement of verbal disclosure of digitally altered content in audio-only recordings, calling them &ldquo;not unduly burdensome.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Kohls&rsquo;s attorney, Theodore Frank, wrote in a statement that they were &ldquo;gratified that the district court agreed with our analysis.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Kohls&rsquo;s post, which he defines as a parody but does not write or state so in the video, used AI to recreate Harris&rsquo;s voice, having her say she was the &ldquo;ultimate diversity hire&rdquo; and other derogatory comments toward President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Joe Biden<\/a>. The AI technology used to manipulate audio and video is so advanced that, without clear parody labels on videos, it&rsquo;s easy to mistake the distortion for reality.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Deepfakes threaten the integrity of our elections, and these new laws protect our democracy while preserving free speech. Satire remains alive and well in California &mdash; even for those who miss the punchline,&rdquo; wrote Izzy Gordon, a spokeswoman for Newsom, in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The statement also reminded Californians that the law is not the only one of its kind. There is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.al.com\/news\/2024\/05\/what-is-true-or-real-new-alabama-law-aims-to-stop-deepfake-campaign-ads.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>similar law<\/a> in Alabama that restricts deepfake AI videos.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, Musk <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1841632709895987519\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>posted<\/a> the lawsuit&rsquo;s ruling on X, celebrating the court&rsquo;s decision.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">California&rsquo;s unconstitutional law infringing on your freedom of speech has been blocked by the court. Yay! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dRihErTsJ9\">https:\/\/t.co\/dRihErTsJ9<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1841632709895987519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 3, 2024<\/a><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1774127\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1774127\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Judge halts California&#8217;s deepfake law aimed at political disinformation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3427,"featured_media":2349956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/AP24277038671926.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4045,42238,5387,33211,32076],"class_list":["post-2349955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-california","tag-deepfake-law","tag-judge","tag-legal-news","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/AP24277038671926.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2349955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3427"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2349955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2349955\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2349956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2349955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2349955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2349955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}