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Elon Musk's X Challenges California's New Deepfake Law in Court

The social media platform argues the law infringes on First Amendment rights and could lead to excessive censorship.

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File: Tesla CEO Elon Musk talks during a tour of the plant of the future foundry of the Tesla Gigafactory on Aug. 13, 2021 in Grünheide near Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Patrick Pleul - Pool/Getty Images)

Overview

  • X, owned by Elon Musk, has filed a lawsuit against California's Assembly Bill 2655, which targets election-related deepfakes on social media.
  • The law mandates platforms to block or label 'materially deceptive' content about politicians 120 days before and after elections.
  • X claims the law violates the First Amendment and could force platforms to over-censor to avoid legal penalties.
  • The lawsuit highlights concerns that the law could suppress political speech, parody, and satire.
  • A federal judge previously blocked a similar law, citing risks to free speech and the potential for overreach.