Elon Musk, the high-profile CEO of Tesla Inc. and the owner of X, applauded a court decision to block a California law he deemed as infringing on freedom of speech.
What Happened: On Wednesday, Musk took to X to express his relief at the court’s decision. The law in question, signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, aimed to curb the use of artificial intelligence in creating misleading political advertisements, specifically deepfakes. The law made it illegal to create and distribute such materials related to elections 120 days before Election Day and 60 days thereafter. The courts had the power to halt the distribution of such materials and impose civil penalties.
the enforcement of a California law that aimed to restrict the use of digitally manipulated political “deepfakes” has been blocked by a federal judge. The law had been enacted by Gov.Newsom only a fortnight ago, reported Politico.
Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez said that the law was a “blunt tool” that hindered humorous expression and unconstitutionally blocked the free exchange of ideas. However, the court made an exception for the “not unduly burdensome” part of the law that would necessitate verbal disclosure of digitally changed content in audio-only recordings.
The lawsuit against the state was filed by Chris Kohls, a social media influencer known as “Mr Reagan”, who sought to prevent the law’s enforcement, citing First Amendment protections for a parody video he had posted.
Theodore Frank, Kohls’ attorney, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision. On the other hand, Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon expressed confidence that the courts would uphold California’s ability to regulate deepfakes, arguing that the law was in line with similar measures passed in other states.
Why It Matters: This court decision comes in the wake of an escalating feud between Musk and Newsom. The dispute began when Newsom signed the stringent law banning political deepfakes. Musk, known for his active social media presence and use of memes, had fired back at Newsom’s threat of legal action, calling it an infringement on his freedom of speech. This latest court decision appears to be a victory for Musk in this ongoing battle.
Musk criticized Newsom after the governor signed laws banning political deepfakes, accusing him of trying to outlaw parody. Newsom denied any intent to suppress parodies, clarifying that the laws target deepfakes and election manipulation. Musk dismissed Newsom’s legal threats as “amazing” on social media.
Check out more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.
Image via Shutterstock
Did You Know?
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
