Technology,
Constitutional Law
Sep. 2, 2025
Judge strikes down California deepfake law as unconstitutional
A federal judge in Sacramento struck down California's AB 2839, which barred distribution of deceptive media of candidates before elections, ruling it discriminates based on content and viewpoint. The decision follows Judge John A. Mendez's earlier rejection of AB 2655, which required labeling deepfakes, marking the second time the state's attempts to regulate synthetic political media have fallen on constitutional grounds.
A federal judge on Friday struck down a second California law aimed at combating online deepfakes.
"The Court finds that AB 2839 discriminates based on content, viewpoint, and speaker and targets constitutionally protected speech," wrote Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Kohls v. Bonta, 2:24-cv-02527-JAM-CKD (E.D. Cal., filed Sept. 17, 2024).
The consolidated case took on several challenges to the law passed last year. AB 2839 banned the "...
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$795 for an entire year!
Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)
Already a subscriber?
Sign In