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Technology,
Constitutional Law

Aug. 6, 2025

Federal judge strikes down California deepfake law

Senior District Judge John A. Mendez in Sacramento said the law was preempted by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which shields online platforms from liability for most content created by users.

Ruling from the bench, a federal judge on Tuesday threw out a California law designed to fight deepfake videos.

"No parts of the statute are severable because the entire statute is preempted," said Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. "No parts of AB 2655 can be salvaged from Section 230's broad preemption framework."

Mendez heard dueling motions for summary judgment in four cases collectively challenging two state laws passed amid 2024's...

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