“[AB 2839] goes after the creators or distributors of content, if the content falls within the terms of the bill,” said CITED’s policy director, Leora Gershenzon, in an interview with TechCrunch. “This is materially deceptive content that is distributed knowing it’s false, with reckless disregard of the truth, and is likely to influence the election.”

When asked whether Musk could face legal action for reposting deepfakes, Newsom did not rule out the possibility.