California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a letter to social media and AI companies last week, urging them to take action on “misinformation” ahead of the presidential election.
“The California Department of Justice is charged with protecting the rights of our residents, including the right to vote,” he wrote. “As the 2024 presidential election approaches, I write to remind your companies about California laws prohibiting voter intimidation, deception, and dissuasion, as may be carried out through election-related communications, advertisements, or broadcasts, such as mass mailings, automated calls, and text messages, as well as television, radio, and internet broadcasts.”
Bonta explained that due to the companies’ role in “disseminating news and information, they are well-equipped to ensure that California voters that use your platforms, products, and services have access to accurate information about their right to vote.”
“I urge your companies to train content-moderation experts to recognize suspected unlawful activities relating to voter deception, intimidation, and dissuasion, and to report these activities to law enforcement,” he wrote.
According to Bonta, the 2020 general election saw a “dramatic increase in the distribution of misinformation about voting on social media platforms, which provide a ready means to disseminate such content to a large audience.”
The California AG noted that he “welcome[s]” the opportunity to “work in partnership” with the social media companies. “Through our joint cooperation and vigilance, we can ensure that communications technologies are used in ways that promote, rather than undermine, the democratic values we cherish.”
Bonta’s letter was sent to the CEOs of Alphabet, Microsoft, Reddit, X, Meta, OpenAI, TikTok, and YouTube.
In a press statement, Bonta said that the “deceptive activities” should be “reported to law enforcement,” adding that he is “fully committed to working with the companies to that end.”
“We cannot allow bad actors, whether foreign or domestic, to continue to threaten the sanctity of our democracy,” he said.
