California toughens penalties for influencers who hide paid political posts
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a law imposing fines of up to $5,000 per violation on influencers who fail to disclose paid political content. The measure follows revelations that billionaire Tom Steyer paid dozens of influencers who initially did not disclose the payments.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed new legislation strengthening accountability for online influencers who are paid to post about political campaigns. According to The New York Times, the state already required disclosure of such payments for posts about state or local races, but until now there were no fines or criminal consequences for failing to comply.
What the new law changes
Under the new bill, AB 1130, regulators will be able to fine influencers up to $5,000 for each violation, and can also refer cases to law enforcement, where they could potentially be treated as misdemeanors.
The push for stronger rules followed the case of billionaire Tom Steyer, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for California governor earlier this year. Reporting by The New York Times found that Steyer paid dozens of influencers to post about his campaign, and many of them initially failed to disclose that the content was sponsored.
Part of a broader package
Newsom signed the bill as part of a wider set of measures that his office said are intended to guard against potential election interference from President Donald Trump.
The bill's sponsor, Democratic Assemblyman Marc Berman, said he introduced the legislation after concluding that the existing law contained ambiguity about how it should be enforced.
The report also notes that Texas already has a similar disclosure requirement for paid political content, and other U.S. states are considering comparable regulations.
