(Breitbart)—In a win for free speech, a federal judge on Tuesday struck down California’s law on AI-generated election parody videos. The lawsuit was filed from Elon Musk, his X platform, the Babylon Bee, and video platform Rumble.
Politico reports that the ruling marks a significant victory for tech billionaire Elon Musk and his social media platform X, which had challenged the California law alongside other plaintiffs, including satirical website The Babylon Bee and conservative social media site Rumble. The decision by U.S. District Judge John Mendez deals a setback to California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), who signed the legislation last year, vowing to take action after Musk, a then-supporter of former President Donald Trump, shared a humorous video of former Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the election.
The now-invalidated law would have prohibited online platforms from hosting AI-generated content related to an election in the period leading up to the vote. Its passage came amidst growing concerns about the rapid advancement and accessibility of artificial intelligence technologies, which allow everyday users to quickly create realistic images and videos, and the potential impact on the political process. However, opponents like Musk argued that the restrictions could infringe upon freedom of expression.
In his ruling, Judge Mendez cited federal rules shielding online platforms from liability for third-party content, rather than addressing the free speech arguments central to the plaintiffs’ case. The judge determined that the California law, authored by Democratic Assembly member Marc Berman, conflicted with Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act. “They don’t have anything to do with these videos that the state is objecting to,” Mendez said of sites like X that host parody videos.
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