SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California lawmaker is proposing to restrict the sharing of manipulated videos depicting politicians amid mounting concerns that increasingly convincing "deep fakes" could give rise to misinformation in the approaching 2020 election.
A state Senate committee has backed a bill by Democratic Assemblyman Marc Berman of Palo Alto that would prohibit the distribution of such videos in the 60 days before an election. They could still be used if distributors include a disclaimer.
But as policymakers grapple with an emerging technology, proposals to regulate videos have spurred debate about free speech and the government's role in regulating political discourse.
Some experts say proposals to ban "deep fakes" altogether would face serious constitutional challenges.
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The legislation is Assembly Bill 730.
