John, Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit to halt the implementation of Common Cause’s flagship anti-disinformation law in California.
I’m urging Common Cause members across the country to help us fight back and win – because what happens in this case will have nationwide consequences.
The law, which California Common Cause helped pass just this year, is one of the most concrete actions we’ve taken to address the dangers that AI and disinformation pose to our elections. It requires online platforms to remove or label deceptive AI deepfakes, with real teeth to hold websites like Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) accountable if they refuse to comply. [1]
Elon Musk is claiming an absolute “free speech” right and he’s using all the high-powered lawyers he can to win this case.
We’re not buying it, John. This is about Elon Musk’s profit margins – protecting the right to free speech also means protecting the right to an information ecosystem that people can trust.
That’s why I’m mobilizing Common Cause members across the country to fuel our fight against this lawsuit in court.
In August, Elon Musk shared a deepfake video of Presidential candidate Kamala Harris that was viewed over 150 million times. [2] And after lawmakers and technology policy advocates spoke out against the deepfake video, Musk doubled down. This isn’t free speech; this is an attempt to undermine the integrity of our elections by manipulating voters.
Deepfakes have already destabilized national elections in Argentina, India, Slovakia, Taiwan, Bangladesh, and most recently, the 2024 US presidential election. Just as this problem is peaking, technology and social media leaders like Musk have attempted to avoid responsibility, cut safety teams, and prioritize their bottom lines.
We deserve better and we know how to get it.
Common Cause first identified deepfakes and AI-driven disinformation as a serious threat to our democracy years ago, and helped California lead the fight for solutions to the threats that disinformation, AI, deepfakes, and other emerging technologies pose to our democracy and elections.
California Common Cause stepped up and worked to pass the country's toughest laws to fix the problem of AI disinformation via the California Legislature, AB 2655 and AB 2839, because just like with climate standards and automobile emissions, passing such a law in California can yield nationwide results.
And this technology continues to get more advanced, with the potential to manipulate and scam millions of people. That’s why we urgently need common sense regulation to make sure our democracy is safe from AI-driven disinformation.
Your support enables us to take hard-hitting legal action for our democracy – and to STOP billionaire disinformation peddlers like Elon Musk. Can you rush your contribution to our Stop Disinfo Legal Fund today? >>
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
It’s our duty to put this anti-democracy disinformation in its place.
Thank you for your support,
Ishan Mehta, Director of Media & Democracy
and the team at Common Cause
[1] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2655
[2] https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/kamala-harris-deepfake-shared-musk-sparks-free-speech-debate-rcna164119
|
805 15th Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC xxxxxx
202.833.1200
https://commoncause.org
Common Cause’s work to defend and strengthen our democracy is powered by members like you.
You can use this link to unsubscribe or let us know you'd like to receive fewer emails from us.
|
|
|
.png)
