California Election Deepfake Prohibition (AB 2839)
Originally signed . Not enforceable after court order; see legislative history.
Overview
Prohibited distribution of materially deceptive AI-generated content in election advertising within specified timeframes. Struck down by federal court on First Amendment grounds in August 2025. Appeal pending in 9th Circuit.
This is an AI-specific state law.
California AI regulation guide lists every tracked rule for this jurisdiction with timelines and obligation tallies.
Who this applies to
This regulation applies to both companies that build AI products and companies that use AI tools from other vendors.
AI categories covered
- Consumer-facing AI
- General purpose AI
Specific AI use cases:
- Content generation
What this requires you to do
prohibited practices
prohibited practices. Review this obligation in the source text.
Enforcement and penalties
Not enforceable. Struck down.
Legislative history
How this law got here
- struck down
Permanent injunction by Judge Mendez, Eastern District of California, on First Amendment grounds. Appeal pending in 9th Circuit.
- signed
Signed by Governor Newsom
Source
Read the full text
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2839
Last verified: April 9, 2026
Always verify current language and amendments at the official source.
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