California's AB 2655

government

leginfo.legislature.ca.gov·leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bil...

A landmark state-level law directly regulating AI-generated deepfakes in electoral contexts, relevant to AI governance researchers tracking how legislatures are responding to generative AI misuse risks in democratic processes.

Metadata

Importance: 62/100legislationprimary source

Summary

California's AB 2655 requires large online platforms to block and label materially deceptive AI-generated election content during specified pre- and post-election periods. The law enables candidates, elected officials, election officials, and attorneys general to seek injunctive relief against noncompliant platforms, while exempting satire, parody, and established news organizations.

Key Points

•Mandates large online platforms block posting of materially deceptive deepfake content related to California elections within specified timeframes before and after elections.
•Requires platforms to label inauthentic, fake, or false election-related content and establish reporting procedures for California residents.
•Authorizes injunctive relief actions by candidates, elected officials, election officials, the Attorney General, and district/city attorneys against noncompliant platforms.
•Exempts broadcasting stations, established periodicals, and content constituting satire or parody from the bill's requirements.
•Signed into law September 17, 2024, representing one of the first state-level legislative responses to AI-generated election disinformation.

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Bill Text - AB-2655 Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024. 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
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 | Add To My Favorites | Version: 09/17/24 - Chaptered 
 08/31/24 - Enrolled 
 08/23/24 - Amended Senate 
 08/15/24 - Amended Senate 
 07/03/24 - Amended Senate 
 06/11/24 - Amended Senate 
 05/20/24 - Amended Assembly 
 04/24/24 - Amended Assembly 
 04/01/24 - Amended Assembly 
 03/21/24 - Amended Assembly 
 02/14/24 - Introduced 
 

 
 
 

 
 AB-2655 Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024. (2023-2024) 
 

 
 
 

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 Date Published: 09/17/2024 09:00 PM
 
 
 AB2655:v89#DOCUMENT Bill Start

 
 Assembly Bill
 
 No. 2655 
 CHAPTER 261 An act to amend Section 35 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and to add Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 20510) to Division 20 of the Elections Code, relating to elections. 
 
 [ 
 Approved by
 
 Governor
   September 17, 2024.
 
 Filed with
 
 Secretary of State
   September 17, 2024.
 ]
 LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

 
 AB 2655, Berman.
 Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024. Existing law establishes requirements for the conduct of election campaigns, including requirements regarding the endorsement of candidates, political corporations, campaign funds, fair campaign practices, and libel and slander. Existing law, until January 1, 2027, prohibits any person, committee, or other entity from distributing, with actual malice, materially deceptive audio or visual media of a candidate for elective office with the intent to injure the candidate’s reputation or to deceive a voter into voting for or against the candidate, within 60 days of the election. Existing law requires specified actions pertaining to elections to be given precedence when they are filed in court, including actions involving the registration of voters, the certification of candidates and measures, and election contests, and, until January 1, 2027, actions involving the foregoing prohibition
 against materially deceptive media. This bill, to be known as the Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024, would require a large online platform, as defined, to block the posting of materially deceptive content related to elections in California, during specified per

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