California bill on social media authentication targets election meddling

California has enacted Senate Bill 1228 on user authentication, part of a larger legislative package designed to protect the state’s elections against misinformation, disinformation and other potentially destabilizing uses of technology. Introduced by Senator Steve Padilla, the bill requires large online platforms to require digital identity verification and labeling for users with large audiences, like “influencers,” or those distributing large amounts of AI-generated content.

Per the bill, “on a semiannual basis, a social media platform that authenticates its users shall …

authentication bill biometrics news california california bill civil digital digital-identity digital identity verification disinformation election elections identity identity verification labeling large legislation media misinformation national id online platforms package platforms protect senate senator social social media state steve technology the bill united states verification