New California law will penalize influencers who don’t disclose political ads
The new legislation adds teeth to disclosure requirements for online influencers who are paid to post about politics.
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation aimed at tightening disclosure rules for online influencers promoting political content. The New York Times reports that while California previously mandated disclosure for influencers covering state or local elections, there were no penalties for those who failed to disclose their monetary relationships.
This new bill, AB 1130, escalates the consequences, allowing regulators to impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation and even refer offenders to law enforcement for potential misdemeanor charges. The legislation, signed under the broader package of bills aimed at safeguarding against election interference by President Donald Trump, has been introduced by Democratic Assemblyman Marc Berman.
Berman cited the "bit of ambiguity" surrounding the current law's enforcement as the impetus for his bill. The legislation's genesis is attributed to billionaire Tom Steyer, who had previously commissioned numerous influencers to post about his gubernatorial campaign, with many of them initially neglecting to disclose these compensations.
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