A federal judge, John Mendez, has issued a preliminary injunction blocking California's new law, AB 2839, that restricts the use of election-related 'deepfakes,' citing First Amendment concerns. The law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom just two weeks ago, aimed to ban 'materially deceptive' altered media related to elections. The legislation was motivated in part by a parody video of Kamala Harris shared by Elon Musk, which sparked a dispute between Musk and Newsom. The judge ruled that 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.' The injunction comes after a legal challenge by content creator 'MrReaganUSA,' who argued that the law violates free speech rights.
