California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a bipartisan coalition of 36 state attorneys general in sending a letter to Congress opposing a proposed provision in the National Defense Authorization Act that would preempt state laws addressing AI risks. The coalition argues that states must retain authority to mitigate AI harms, particularly to children, and that state-level enforcement is critical for protecting residents from emerging threats like deepfakes and harmful AI interactions.
In-house legal teams should review vendor, customer, and data processing agreements for clauses that address compliance with state-specific AI regulations, particularly those protecting children and mitigating AI harms like deepfakes. Focus on governing law and preemption provisions to ensure state authority is not waived; data processing and AI usage clauses to align with evolving state standards; and cooperation or enforcement clauses that obligate parties to support state-level regulatory actions. Updates may be needed to explicitly preserve applicability of state AI laws, require adherence to child safety measures in AI interactions, and mandate prompt responses to state inquiries regarding AI risks.
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta
Also known as: California Department of Justice
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OtherOfficial Press Release
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-bipartisan-coalition-urge-congress-stand-states%E2%80%99
Letter to Congress AI Moratorium FINAL (corrected)
https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/Letter%20to%20Congress%20AI%20Moratorium_FINAL%20%28corrected%29.pdf
California Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/privacy-enforcement-actions
"California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a bipartisan coalition of 36 state attorneys general"
"opposing a proposed provision in the National Defense Authorization Act that would preempt state laws addressing the risks of artificial intelligence"
"states must be empowered to utilize existing laws and formulate new approaches to mitigate potential harms associated with artificial intelligence"
Governor Newsom signed the Expanding Privacy Rights Act (SB 923), expanding CCPA deletion rights to cover personal information obtained from third parties and requiring online-only businesses to offer an online method for submitting privacy requests. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, and allows businesses to maintain suppression lists to help keep deleted information from being reacquired.
The California Privacy Protection Agency announced that the California State Legislature approved the Expanding Privacy Rights Act (SB 923), which expands the CCPA's right to delete to cover all non-exempt personal information a business holds about a consumer, including data originally collected from third parties. The bill also requires online-only businesses with a direct relationship to consumers to provide online methods, such as webforms, for submitting access, deletion, and correction requests, and expressly permits businesses to retain suppression lists so deleted information stays deleted. The bill, authored by Senator Becker and sponsored by CalPrivacy, now goes to the Governor for consideration.
A bipartisan coalition of 33 state attorneys general, led by Minnesota AG Keith Ellison, began trial against Meta Platforms, Inc., alleging the company knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Facebook and Instagram that drive children and teens to use the platforms compulsively, while falsely assuring parents and the public that its platforms were safe for young users. The states also allege Meta illegally collected personal information from children under 13 without parental consent, violating COPPA. The trial opened before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, with the states seeking monetary penalties and injunctive relief.
A coalition of 12 state attorneys general, led by Colorado AG Phil Weiser, obtained a temporary restraining order from a federal court in California to halt the proposed $110 billion merger of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. by Paramount Skydance Corporation. The lawsuit alleges the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act by substantially lessening competition in film distribution, anticipated blockbuster film distribution, and licensing cable TV channels.
The California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy) joined a coalition of 18 Attorneys General and state agencies in opposing the proposed SECURE Data Act, a federal privacy bill that would preempt stronger state privacy laws like the CCPA. The coalition argues the bill would weaken consumer privacy protections, limit enforcement remedies, and undermine California's Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP).
A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general began trial against Meta Platforms, Inc., alleging the company knowingly designed addictive features on Facebook and Instagram that harm children and teens, deceived parents about platform safety, and illegally collected personal information from children under 13 without parental consent in violation of COPPA. The states seek monetary penalties, an injunction to stop unlawful practices, and other relief. The trial is being litigated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.