The Babylon Bee has filed a lawsuit against the state of California, challenging new laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, that regulate satire and parody through “deepfake” restrictions. The lawsuit claims the laws infringe on free speech by requiring social media platforms to monitor and report deceptive content, which could include political satire.
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In July 2024, Gov. Newsom tweeted that a parody video of Vice President Kamala Harris should be illegal, leading to legislation prohibiting such content. The new laws focus on AI-generated disinformation but also mandate labeling or removal of satire that isn’t clearly marked.
Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon argued that forcing disclaimers ruins the humor of satire and could result in penalties if not followed.
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The lawsuit, supported by Alliance Defending Freedom, asserts that satire is protected under the First Amendment, which guarantees the right to political speech. The suit adds to a growing list of conservative media outlets alleging censorship.
Last year, The Daily Wire and The Federalist sued the Biden administration over similar concerns. This particular legal showdown could set new precedents for political satire in the digital age.
Tags: 2024 Elections, AI, Artificial Intelligence, California, Deepfakes, Free Speech, Gavin Newsom, Generative AI, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Lawsuit
Lauren Taylor
POPULAR SATIRE SITE ‘THE BABYLON BEE’ IS SUING CALIFORNIA OVER NEW LAWS THE SITE CLAIMS RESTRICT FREE SPEECH, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING SATIRE AND PARODY.
GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM SIGNED THESE LAWS TO COMBAT A-I GENERATED “DEEPFAKE” CONTENT… BUT CRITICS ARGUE THEY GO TOO FAR BY FORCING SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO LABEL OR REMOVE SATIRICAL POSTS.
THE BABYLON BEE’S LAWSUIT, FILED IN FEDERAL COURT MONDAY, ARGUES THAT REQUIRING DISCLAIMERS FOR SATIRE VIOLATES THE FIRST AMENDMENT. CEO SETH DILLON SAYS FORCING DISCLAIMERS STIFLES FREE EXPRESSION AND LEAVES NO ROOM FOR HUMOR.
“IF WE’RE UNABLE TO PUBLISH SATIRE WITHOUT PUTTING DISCLAIMERS ALL OVER IT, AND WE’RE GOING TO FACE POTENTIAL PENALTIES IF WE DON’T DO THAT, THEN THAT’S A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE-”“SO WE’RE FIGHTING BACK IN EVERY WAY THAT WE CAN AGAINST LAWS THAT CLAMP DOWN ON SPEECH.”
THE LAWSUIT, BACKED BY THE ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM, SAYS THE LAWS PROTECT POLITICIANS FROM CRITICISM WHILE SUPPRESSING FREE SPEECH. CREATOR OF A DEEPFAKE KAMALA HARRIS AD, CHRISTOPHER KOHLS… KNOWN ONLINE AS “MR. REAGAN,” ALSO SUED THE STATE, ALLEGING SIMILAR CLAIMS.
THE SUIT ADDS TO A GROWING LIST OF CONSERVATIVE MEDIA OUTLETS ALLEGING CENSORSHIP. LAST YEAR, THE DAILY WIRE AND THE FEDERALIST SUED THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OVER SIMILAR CONCERNS. THIS PARTICULAR LEGAL SHOWDOWN COULD SET NEW PRECEDENTS FOR POLITICAL SATIRE IN THE DIGITAL AGE.
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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.
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