Elon Musk’s X sues to block California law that aims to combat election deepfakes

X, the social media app owned by Elon Musk, has sued California in an attempt to block a new law requiring large online platforms to remove or label deceptive election content. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, targets a law that aims to combat harmful videos, images and audio that have been altered or created with artificial intelligence. Known as deepfakes, this type of content can make it appear as if a person said or did something they didn’t. The law is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2025. Assembly Bill 2655 was one of three bills California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed into law in 2024 to address growing concerns about deepfakes ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. California lawmakers have been trying to mitigate technology’s potential risks but also face backlash from powerful tech executives wary of efforts they see as possibly restricting users’ online speech. X alleges the new law would prompt social media sites to lean toward labeling or removing legitimate election content out of caution.