California deepfake ban blocked by judge

Californnia’s new law against “deepfake” political ads, which impersonate a candidate and misrepresent the candidate’s views, violates the constitutional right of free expression, a federal judge said Wednesday in a ruling blocking enforcement of the law. The law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 17, was a response to videos posted by a conservative producer, and publicized by billionaire Elon Musk, that showed Vice President Kamala Harris appearing to say, in an artificially generated voice, that she was the “ultimate diversity hire” to run for president. Supporters said the...