Politics
California enacts penalties for influencers failing to disclose paid political posts
New legislation allows fines up to $5,000 and misdemeanor charges for undisclosed political promotions.
The short version
- California Governor Gavin Newsom signed bill AB 1130, establishing fines up to $5,000 per violation and potential misdemeanor charges for influencers who do not disclose paid political posts.[NBC News · TechCrunch]
- The legislation closes an enforcement loophole in state law, which previously required disclosure for political promotions but lacked specific criminal or civil penalties for non-compliance.[NBC News · TechCrunch]
- State Assemblyman Marc Berman introduced the bill following scrutiny over undisclosed influencer payments made during billionaire Tom Steyer's California gubernatorial campaign.[NBC News · TechCrunch]
Key facts
- Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1130 into law, authorizing civil and criminal penalties for influencers who fail to disclose paid political ads.[NBC News · TechCrunch]
- Under the new law, regulators can impose fines reaching $5,000 per violation and refer individuals for misdemeanor charges under the Political Reform Act of 1974.[NBC News · TechCrunch]
- California previously mandated disclosure for state and local political content creators, but lacked direct enforcement mechanisms or penalties.[NBC News · TechCrunch]
- The bill was sponsored by Democratic Assemblyman Marc Berman to resolve ambiguities in state disclosure regulations.[NBC News · TechCrunch]
- Tom Steyer's gubernatorial campaign paid influencers who initially omitted required disclosure notices on social media posts.[NBC News · TechCrunch]
What remains uncertain
- The Fair Political Practices Commission complaint regarding Tom Steyer's campaign remains open, while a spokesperson called the allegations baseless and maintained all rules were followed.[NBC News]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.