Business

California Warns State’s Big Tech Giants About Election Disinformation

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has written a letter to executives at big technology companies last week reminding them that current state laws prohibit certain types of voter intimidation, deception, and dissuasion. Bonta clarified that state laws may apply to content posted on social media platforms and content generated by artificial intelligence.

Published

9 months ago

September 22, 2024

Oakland Post

iStock

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Bonta clarified that state laws may apply to content posted on social media platforms and content generated by artificial intelligence. In his letter, Bonta urged executives at eight of the largest social media and AI companies to address the spread of false and misleading information regarding this year’s general election. The companies addressed in the letter included Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Open AI, Reddit, TikTok, X Corporation, and YouTube. The attorney general raised concerns over the spread of misinformation due to the enhanced capabilities to create deceptive content due to improvements in generative AI.

“The California Department of Justice is charged with protecting the rights of our residents. This is a responsibility I take seriously,” said Bonta. “That is why I am urging social media and AI companies to understand existing California laws and address the deception that our voters are being exposed to when it comes to their constitutional right to vote. Those deceptive activities must be better identified and reported to law enforcement. I am fully committed to working with the companies to that end. We cannot allow bad actors, whether foreign or domestic, to continue to threaten the sanctity of our democracy.”

Bonta’s letter highlighted the impact of social media and AI during the 2020 general election with an increase in the distribution of misinformation about voting on different platforms. Furthermore, various social media platforms either got rid of their international content-moderation policies or reduced resources to enact policies.

The California Department of Justice welcomed the opportunity to work with the tech companies in addressing misinformation about the upcoming elections. The state recommends that the companies set aside tools to detect, prevent, and report intentional interference with voting rights when users violate state laws using AI and social media.