Creator of Kamala Harris parody video sues California over ‘deepfake’ law

Sept. 19 (UPI) — A video creator is suing the State of California for a new law labeling the use of “deepfake” artificial intelligence political ads that banned his parody of Vice President Kamala Harris saying she was the “ultimate diversity hire.”

Christopher Kohls said his First and 14th Amendment rights were violated when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the anti-deepfake measure into law on Tuesday. He claims the law effectively banned his Harris video, which had drawn controversy since he first posted it over the summer.

X owner Elon Musk reposted the video without identifying it as a parody, drawing the ire of Harris supporters around the country, including Newsom, who vowed to outlaw such videos.

Kohl’s initial post labeled the video as a “campaign ad parody,” which protected it under previous California law. He claims the new law requires a new font size for the labeling that would fill up the entire screen of his video.

“Requiring them to use the word ‘parody’ on the actual video avoids further misleading the public as the video is shared across the platform,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon said. “It’s unclear why this conservative activist is suing California.

“This new disclosure law for election misinformation isn’t any more onerous than laws already passed in other states, including Alabama.”

Kohls, who goes by the username Mr Reagan on X, had had the Harris video viewed 135 million times since it was shared by Musk. In court papers, he said he has the “absolute Constitutional right to lampoon politicians he believes should not be elected.”