Law / United States / 
California
AB 2655, Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act
Cal. Elec. Code Sections 20510 to 20520
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What follows is LexLint's own research summary of this law, not legal advice.
Struck down: invalidated by a court, effective 17 September 2024.
An AI transparency rule binding private bodies.
As of 14 August 2026.
What it requires
- Held preempted by Section 230 and struck down, with the State's appeal pending, so read this as context rather than a live duty
- As enacted it required large online platforms to remove or, in the alternative, label materially deceptive AI-generated content about a candidate or elections official inside windows around an election
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
As enacted, required large online platforms to remove or, in the alternative, label materially deceptive AI-generated content about a candidate or elections official within windows around an election.
The same district judge (Mendez, E.D. Cal.) held this statute preempted by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and did not reach the First Amendment question, with final judgment entered 29 August 2025 alongside the AB 2839 ruling; because the holding is preemption-based rather than a discretionary injunction, struck_down is the more precise status than enjoined, though the practical enforcement posture is the same.
The State's appeal is pending in the same Ninth Circuit docket as AB 2839 (No. 25-6138), briefing complete 11 March 2026, no decision issued as of the date shown (14 August 2026). This is litigation-aware status: the statute does not bind today.
When LexLint raises it
generates_content
Read the law
official California Legislative Information (leginfo) chaptered bill text, for the statute
secondary litigation-tracker reporting for the ruling and pending appeal
Every line above is drawn from the primary source linked here, read on the date shown. This is a research summary, not legal advice.