A federal judge blocked a new California law that prevents the distribution of political satire or AI-generated content.
The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by Christopher Kohls, known as “Mr. Reagan” on X. Kohls alleged that his parody video of Vice President Kamala Harris was protected under the First Amendment.
“The Court acknowledges that the risks posed by artificial intelligence and deepfakes are significant, especially as civic engagement migrates online and disinformation proliferates on social media,” the judge wrote. “Against this backdrop, the Court does not enjoin the state statute at issue in this motion lightly, even on a preliminary basis.”
According to the judge, the law “acts as a hammer instead of a scalpel, serving as a blunt tool that hinders humorous expression and unconstitutionally stifles the free and unfettered exchange of ideas which is so vital to American democratic debate.”
“The First Amendment was designed to protect citizens against prior restraints and encroachments of speech by State governments themselves,” the ruling explains.
A spokesperson for Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said deepfakes “threaten the integrity of our elections, and these new laws protect our democracy while preserving free speech — in a manner no more stringent than those in other states, including deep-red Alabama.”
“We’re confident the courts will uphold the state’s ability to regulate these types of dangerous and misleading deepfakes,” the governor’s office told Fox News Digital, noting that “Satire remains alive and well in California — even for those who miss the punchline.”
