California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed three bills to curb the use of artificially intelligent technology to create fake images or videos for political advertisements ahead of the 2020 election.

It is now illegal to publish and create deepfakes about elections, 120 days prior to the election day and 60 days afterward, under a new law that will take effect immediately. The law allows the courts to halt distribution and impose civil sanctions.

Newsom, in a press release, said that “safeguarding the integrity” of elections was essential for democracy. It is also important to ensure AI does not undermine public trust by spreading disinformation – especially in the current fraught political climate. These measures will combat the harmful use deepfakes, in political ads and in other content. This is one of many areas where the state has taken proactive steps to promote transparent and trusted AI.

A new law, the first in the nation, will require large social media platforms to remove deceptive content. It is expected to take effect next year. Newsom signed a law requiring political campaigns that run ads with AI-altered materials to disclose this publicly.

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The Governor signed the bills amid loud applause at a Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff’s event during the company’s annual conference in San Francisco.

California has reaffirmed its position as the leader of AI regulation in the U.S. The laws are particularly effective in fighting election deepfakes. In 2019, California was the first state in the U.S. that banned manipulated images and videos related to elections. California legislators’ proposals on technology and AI have served as a blueprint for lawmakers across the nation, according to industry experts.

AI has accelerated the spread of disinformation in elections around the world. Lawmakers across the nation have been racing to tackle the issue, as they are concerned that manipulated materials may undermine the public’s confidence in what they hear and see.

In a press release, Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (author of the law that bans election deepfakes) said: “With less than 50 days before the general elections, it is urgent to protect against misleading digitally-altered contents that can interfere with an election.” California is taking a stance against the manipulation of deepfake technologies to deceive voter.

Newsom made the decision after he promised in July to crackdown on election deepfakes, in response to a video uploaded by X-owner Elon Mush featuring altered images of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Vice President.

California’s new laws were announced on the same day that members of Congress introduced federal legislation to combat election fraud. The bill would grant the Federal Election Commission authority to regulate AI use in elections, just as it has done for years with other forms of political misrepresentation. After outlawing AI generated robocalls that were intended to discourage voters, the FEC began to examine such regulations.

Newsom has praised California as a leader in AI adoption and regulation. He said the state would soon be deploying generative AI tools for highway congestion, tax advice, while his administration is considering new rules to prevent AI discrimination.

On Tuesday, he also signed two more bills to protect Hollywood actors from AI usage without their consent.