California lawmakers vote to increase transparency over influencers’ paid political posts

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Senate passed a bill Monday that would fine content creators who don’t disclose they were paid to post in support of a political candidate or issue on the ballot.

California, along with Texas, already requires content creators to include payment disclaimers on their political posts. The goal of this year’s bill is to better enforce the law. The legislation, which was authored by Democratic Assemblymember Marc Berman, will need a final vote in the Assembly before it can reach Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk. Newsom has until the end of September to sign or veto it.

“Voters should have a right to know whether or not campaigns are paying for the messaging that they’re seeing,” Berman said in an interview last month.

Under current law, the state’s campaign watchdog can seek a court order compelling an influencer to disclose that they were paid, but that process can take months. Berman’s bill would give the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission, which supports the proposal, the power to fine influencers and political committees if they are found to have violated the law, allowing the commission to bypass the court process. Content creators could face fines of up to $5,000 per violation, according to the commission.

The bill’s passage comes as federal efforts to pass disclosure requirements for influencers have yet to advance. Sen. Adam Schiff of California introduced a bill in Congress last month, but it hasn’t received a vote.