Elon Musk’s X Corp. Takes on California Over Deepfake Law
By Samuel A. Lopez – USA Herald
[SACRAMENTO, California] – 7:05 PM PST – When Elon Musk’s X sued California over its new deepfake law, I wasn’t surprised. The stakes are as high as they come—freedom of speech and the fine line between combatting misinformation and suppressing robust political debate. On November 14, 2024, X Corp filed its Complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, targeting Assembly Bill 2655, set to take effect in January.
The law claims to aim at protecting the integrity of elections by requiring large social media platforms to label or remove “materially deceptive” election-related content. But X contends that AB 2655 is a direct affront to the First Amendment, which states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2655 into law with the intention of mitigating the harm caused by manipulated content, including deepfakes—videos or images altered using artificial intelligence to mislead viewers. Proponents argue the law is critical for safeguarding democracy, especially during pivotal elections like 2024.
But the lawsuit from X Corp paints a different picture, contending that the law is overbroad and discriminatory. According to the complaint, AB 2655 forces platforms to act as arbiters of truth, censoring speech the state deems objectionable.
The complaint asserts that “AB 2655 imposes a prior restraint on speech because it provides, pursuant to Sections 20515(b) and 20516, expedited causes of action under Section 35 of the California Code of Civil Procedure through which political speech can be enjoined before there occurs a ‘final judicial determination’ that the ‘speech is unprotected.’”
As I dug into the legal filing, a striking theme emerged: the law’s implications for satire and parody. Governor Newsom’s office insists the law exempts these forms of expression, yet X highlights the inherent ambiguity. Parody videos targeting public figures, like the recent one featuring Vice President Kamala Harris, have already sparked backlash and fueled the governor’s push for stricter regulations.
X’s legal challenge emphasizes the First Amendment’s role in protecting even uncomfortable or controversial speech. The lawsuit underscores the risk of “censorship of wide swaths of valuable political speech and commentary,” warning that platforms like X could be incentivized to over-censor to avoid liability.
This isn’t just about memes or parody. It’s about the kind of open, uninhibited debate that the Supreme Court has long championed. And for social media platforms, the stakes extend to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields them from liability for user-generated content.
“AB 2655 strikes at the core of content-moderation rights,” the complaint states. “It requires platforms to remove, alter, or label content under standards that are vague and open to abuse.”
This prior restraint, X contends, forces platforms to censor only certain election-related content deemed “materially deceptive” by the state, thus interfering with constitutionally protected content-moderation speech rights.
The outcome of this case will have far-reaching implications for both online platforms and the future of political discourse. “For now, the fight is on.” – Samuel A. Lopez
