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Newsom Threatens Laws Against Deepfakes After Kamala Harris Parody Video Goes Viral

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net.

In a clash between Gov. Gavin Newsom and tech magnate Elon Musk, the California governor promoted his intention to endorse a law targeting what he calls the misuse of AI in political advertising.

This decision escalates the ongoing dispute between the two influential figures. Newsom criticized a parody video shared by Musk, which seemed to showcase a campaign ad for Vice President Kamala Harris with a synthetic voiceover, by posting, “Manipulating a voice in an ‘ad’ like this one should be illegal. I’ll be signing a bill in a matter of weeks to make sure it is.”

Musk retorted sharply on social media, emphasizing the legality of parody in the United States.

“I, Kamala Harris, am your Democrat candidate for president because Joe Biden finally exposed his senility at the debate,” the synthetic Harris voice says in the video. “I was selected because I am the ultimate diversity hire. I’m both a woman and a person of color, so if you criticize anything, I say you’re both sexist and racist,” the video continues.

The legislation Newsom refers to is part of a broader legislative effort to combat “deceptive” practices in digital campaign materials.

Current proposals include the “Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024” by Asm. Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park. This act mandates that social platforms block “misleading” electoral content 120 days before and 60 days after an election. Additionally, it would require platforms to label manipulated content outside these periods and enable California residents to flag such content as “deceptive.”

Another significant proposal, AB 2839 by Asm. Gail Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz, aims to extend the period during which it is illegal to distribute deceptive media of a candidate to 120 days before an election.

California already has a deepfake law (AB 730, updated by AB 972), designed to address the use of artificial intelligence to create deepfake media. Enacted to mitigate the potential harm caused by realistic but fabricated digital content, this law primarily targets deepfakes involving political candidates and explicit content without consent.

Key provisions of AB 972 include:

Political Ads: The law prohibits the distribution of manipulated videos, audio recordings, or images of a political candidate within 60 days of an election if the content is likely to deceive a reasonable person into believing it is authentic unless it contains a disclaimer stating it has been manipulated.

Explicit Content: It is illegal to create or distribute deepfake content that depicts a person engaging in sexual activity, or appearing nude, without that person’s consent. This is aimed at protecting individuals from non-consensual sexual content, commonly known as “revenge porn.”

Civil Recourse: Victims of unauthorized deepfakes have the right to sue for damages. This gives individuals a way to seek redress if they are feel harmed by deepfake content.

However, the sticking point in the law for Newsom is that it has an exception. The law does include certain exceptions, such as parody, satire, or any other protected forms of speech under the First Amendment.

Since both parody and satire are rightly protected under the First Amendment, it’s unclear what Newsom is going to try next.

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net.

The post Newsom Threatens Laws Against Deepfakes After Kamala Harris Parody Video Goes Viral appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

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News

Hezbollah says it will ‘definitely respond’ to any Israeli attack

Hezbollah says it will ‘definitely respond’ to any Israeli attack

Source in Lebanese movement says any ground offensive in southern Lebanon will be met with a ‘first step’ in the Galilee

MEE staff

Tue, 07/30/2024 – 11:19

Comrades attend the funeral of killed Hezbollah fighter Wehbi Mohammed Ibrahim in the village of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon on 20 June 2024 (Hassan Fneich/AFP)

Hezbollah is taking Israel’s threats of a “severe” attack seriously and will respond accordingly, a senior source in the Lebanese group has said. 

The unnamed official, speaking to Al Jazeera on Tuesday, said Hezbollah will treat any attack as an aggression regardless of how it may be described by Israeli officials as “limited but significant”. 

The source told the Qatar-based news network that intermediaries requested Hezbollah not to respond to the expected Israeli attack, but the group refused. 

“We will definitely respond to any Israeli aggression,” the source said. 

“The resistance leadership will decide the form and size of the response to any potential aggression.”

Additionally, the source said Hezbollah does not expect a ground Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon. 

However, if Israel takes this step, it will be an incentive for the Lebanese group to “place our first step in the Galilee”. 

The comments come as Israeli officials threaten to attack Lebanon in retaliation to a strike that killed 12 Syrian teenagers in the occupied Golan Heights on the weekend. 

Israel blamed Hezbollah for the strike but the Lebanese group vehemently denied responsibility. 

The claims and counterclaims on Majdal Shams strike

Read More »

During a visit to the strike location in Majdal Shams on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Israel will not and cannot let this simply pass. Our response will come, and it will be harsh.”

Residents of the region, who are denied Israeli citizenship, protested against Netanyahu’s visit, with some calling him a “murderer” as he arrived. 

Shortly after the visit, some residents released a statement denouncing what they called incitement by Israeli officials to justify more bloodshed in their name. 

The statement, issued by the Religious and Temporal Commission, rejected calls for retaliation.

“[The Golan rejects] attempts to exploit Majdal Shams’ name as a political platform, at the expense of the blood of our children, and the issuing of statements [on their behalf] without authorisation,” the commission said.

“Based on our Arab, Islamic, monotheistic beliefs, we reject that a single drop of blood be shed under the name of revenge for our children.”

Fears of full-blown war

Meanwhile, fears of an all-out regional war as a result of a potential Israeli attack remain high.

According to Reuters, the US has been leading diplomatic efforts to sway Israel from bombing Beirut or major civil infrastructure, to avoid further escalation. 

Golan Heights attack: The claims and counterclaims on Majdal Shams strike

Read More »

“If they avoid civilians and they avoid Beirut and its suburbs, then their attack could be well calculated,” said Lebanon’s deputy parliament speaker, Elias Bou Saab.

However, Israel has not made any commitment to avoid bombing Beirut or civil infrastructure, sources told Reuters. 

Separately, Israeli officials told the news agency they wanted to “hurt Hezbollah but not drag the Middle East into all-out war”.

Amid the heightened tensions, many countries have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon as major international airlines suspended flights to Beirut.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday became the latest world leader to express concern over the potential of full-blown war. 

Meloni called on Israel not to fall into the “trap” of retaliation and called for continued diplomatic effort to avoid an escalation. 

Read More
News

Hezbollah says it will ‘definitely respond’ to any Israeli attack

Hezbollah says it will ‘definitely respond’ to any Israeli attack

Source in Lebanese movement says any ground offensive in southern Lebanon will be met with a ‘first step’ in the Galilee

MEE staff

Tue, 07/30/2024 – 11:19

Comrades attend the funeral of killed Hezbollah fighter Wehbi Mohammed Ibrahim in the village of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon on 20 June 2024 (Hassan Fneich/AFP)

Hezbollah is taking Israel’s threats of a “severe” attack seriously and will respond accordingly, a senior source in the Lebanese group has said. 

The unnamed official, speaking to Al Jazeera on Tuesday, said Hezbollah will treat any attack as an aggression regardless of how it may be described by Israeli officials as “limited but significant”. 

The source told the Qatar-based news network that intermediaries requested Hezbollah not to respond to the expected Israeli attack, but the group refused. 

“We will definitely respond to any Israeli aggression,” the source said. 

“The resistance leadership will decide the form and size of the response to any potential aggression.”

Additionally, the source said Hezbollah does not expect a ground Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon. 

However, if Israel takes this step, it will be an incentive for the Lebanese group to “place our first step in the Galilee”. 

The comments come as Israeli officials threaten to attack Lebanon in retaliation to a strike that killed 12 Syrian teenagers in the occupied Golan Heights on the weekend. 

Israel blamed Hezbollah for the strike but the Lebanese group vehemently denied responsibility. 

The claims and counterclaims on Majdal Shams strike

Read More »

During a visit to the strike location in Majdal Shams on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Israel will not and cannot let this simply pass. Our response will come, and it will be harsh.”

Residents of the region, who are denied Israeli citizenship, protested against Netanyahu’s visit, with some calling him a “murderer” as he arrived. 

Shortly after the visit, some residents released a statement denouncing what they called incitement by Israeli officials to justify more bloodshed in their name. 

The statement, issued by the Religious and Temporal Commission, rejected calls for retaliation.

“[The Golan rejects] attempts to exploit Majdal Shams’ name as a political platform, at the expense of the blood of our children, and the issuing of statements [on their behalf] without authorisation,” the commission said.

“Based on our Arab, Islamic, monotheistic beliefs, we reject that a single drop of blood be shed under the name of revenge for our children.”

Fears of full-blown war

Meanwhile, fears of an all-out regional war as a result of a potential Israeli attack remain high.

According to Reuters, the US has been leading diplomatic efforts to sway Israel from bombing Beirut or major civil infrastructure, to avoid further escalation. 

Golan Heights attack: The claims and counterclaims on Majdal Shams strike

Read More »

“If they avoid civilians and they avoid Beirut and its suburbs, then their attack could be well calculated,” said Lebanon’s deputy parliament speaker, Elias Bou Saab.

However, Israel has not made any commitment to avoid bombing Beirut or civil infrastructure, sources told Reuters. 

Separately, Israeli officials told the news agency they wanted to “hurt Hezbollah but not drag the Middle East into all-out war”.

Amid the heightened tensions, many countries have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon as major international airlines suspended flights to Beirut.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday became the latest world leader to express concern over the potential of full-blown war. 

Meloni called on Israel not to fall into the “trap” of retaliation and called for continued diplomatic effort to avoid an escalation. 

Read More