Kamala Harris Parody Creator Sues California Over ‘Deepfake’ Law

On September 19, a video creator has taken legal action against the State of California, contesting a recent law that targets the use of “deepfake” artificial intelligence in political advertisements. The law has effectively barred his parody video featuring Vice President Kamala Harris, where she is dubbed the “ultimate diversity hire.”

Christopher Kohls asserts that his rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments were compromised when Governor Gavin Newsom enacted the anti-deepfake legislation on Tuesday. Kohls argues that the new regulation effectively prohibits his video, which attracted significant attention after being released over the summer.

The controversy intensified when Elon Musk, the owner of X, shared Kohls’ video without label it as a parody. This led to backlash from supporters of Harris, including Governor Newsom, who expressed a commitment to eliminate such content.

Kohls had initially identified his video as a “campaign ad parody,” which he contends granted it protection under existing California law. However, he claims the new legislation mandates a different font size for the parody label, requiring it to dominate the entire screen of his video.

According to Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, this requirement aims to minimize public misunderstanding as the video circulates on social media platforms. Gardon questioned the rationale behind Kohls’ lawsuit, stating, “It’s unclear why this conservative activist is suing California.”

Gardon also defended the new disclosure law, asserting that it parallels regulations already established in other states, including Alabama, and is not excessively burdensome.

Kohls, known by the username Mr. Reagan on X, reported that his Harris parody video garnered over 135 million views since Musk’s repost. In his legal filings, he contends that he possesses the “absolute Constitutional right to lampoon politicians he believes should not be elected.”