Elon Musk Slams Newsom, Saying New Anti-Deepfake Law Makes ‘Parody Illegal’!

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Tuesday banning digitally altered political “deepfakes,” making it the strictest law of its kind in the United States.

The new law aims to crack down on deceptive content created using artificial intelligence that manipulates images or videos, particularly in the context of political ads.

Imagine trying to ban and censor comedy and thinking you’re on the right side of history.

— Klay Thompson (@Thompsonklay) July 29, 2024

The law prohibits the creation and publication of deepfakes ahead of Election Day and for 60 days after and allows courts to stop the distribution of such materials while imposing civil penalties.

Elon Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” quickly responded to the new law, sharing a controversial AI-altered video of Vice President Kamala Harris.

The governor of California just made this parody video illegal in violation of the Constitution of the United States.

Would be a shame if it went viral. https://t.co/OCBewC4vOb

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 18, 2024

This same video, which includes AI-generated audio of Harris making inflammatory statements mixed with real clips of her speeches, was one of the key reasons Newsom decided to enact the legislation.

Musk encouraged his 198 million followers on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share the doctored video, mocking Newsom’s decision by stating, “The governor of California just made this parody video illegal in violation of the Constitution of the United States.”

Gavin is starting some sht he doesn’t want to get into trust me.

You don’t try to take on Elon!!!

— AmericanPapaBear (@AmericaPapaBear) July 29, 2024

Musk’s actions underscore his opposition to the new law, arguing that it restricts freedom of expression. The Harris deepfake video, captioned “Kamala Harris Campaign Ad PARODY,” mixes real and altered content and has now been viewed 40 million times.

Musk’s stance has fueled ongoing debates about the balance between protecting democratic processes and upholding free speech rights.

Gavin will get burned. Again. Let it rip tater chip. Parodies are legal. Anything to screw into the “regime” I’m ok with.

— Sassafrass84 (@Sassafrass_84) July 29, 2024

Governor Newsom defended the legislation, emphasizing the importance of maintaining public trust in elections

The governor reiterated that the law is not intended to target parody or satire that includes clear disclosure but rather to prevent disinformation that can undermine electoral integrity.

Newsom signed the bills during an event with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, where he stressed that the measures are crucial regardless of political affiliation, noting, “I could care less if it was Harris or Trump. It was just wrong on every level.”

Gavin Newsom’s entire governorship has been a parody.

That’s why California is losing 75K net residents a year to other states.

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) July 29, 2024

The governor’s stance reflects California’s proactive approach to regulating AI technologies, as the state seeks to set a standard for other states grappling with similar concerns about deepfakes and election disinformation.

This clash between Musk and Newsom is not their first confrontation over California laws.

Elon should kick him off X just because it’d be funny.

— Valentina Gomez (@ValentinaForUSA) July 29, 2024

In July, Musk announced plans to move SpaceX’s headquarters from California to Texas, citing his dissatisfaction with various state regulations, including a law barring schools from notifying parents if their child identifies as a different gender at school.

Musk’s decisions and public criticisms of Newsom reflect broader tensions between the tech industry and state regulators over free speech, corporate responsibility, and public policy issues.

Elon is way more intelligent than Gavin could ever think of being!

— Kathleen Winchell ❤️🤍💙🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@KathleenWinche3) July 29, 2024

The rise of artificial intelligence in creating deceptive content has raised widespread concerns about its impact on public trust, especially as elections approach.

Wouldn’t this infringe upon 1A?

Newsom quickly becoming a dictator

— Mickamious (@MickamiousG) July 29, 2024

Earlier this year, reports surfaced about AI-generated deepfakes of political figures, including a manipulated video of President Biden, illustrating the growing challenges lawmakers face in regulating this rapidly advancing technology.

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