Previous Story
California Legislature Backs Away From “Fake News” Law
Posted On 02 Apr 2017
The California legislature was supposed to start considering a new “fake news” bill last week, but Democrats have pulled A.B. 1104 from the agenda in the wake of overwhelming criticism from both the left and the right.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation released a memo celebrating the decision, telling the bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Ed Chau, that “you can’t fight fake news with a bad law.”
As written, the bill would make it illegal for any California resident to “knowingly and willingly make, publish, or circulate on an Internet Web site a false or deceptive statement designed to influence the vote on either of the following: (a) Any issue submitted to voters at an election, and (b) Any candidate for election to public office.”
The EFF phrased it like this: “In other words, it would be illegal to be wrong in the Internet if it could impact an election. The bill is unconstitutional under U.S. Supreme Court case law, and likely to draw immediate and costly lawsuits if it is signed into law.”
The organization said the flaws in the bill were almost too numerous to count.
“A.B. 1104 makes no exception for satire and parody, leaving The Onion and Saturday Night Live open to accusations of illegal content,” they wrote. “Nor does it exempt news organizations who quote deceptive statements made by politicians in their online reporting – even if their reporting is meant to debunk those claims. And what of everyday citizens who are duped by misleading materials: if 1,000 Californians retweet an incorrect statement by a presidential candidate, have they all broken the law?”
It doesn’t appear that California Democrats are going to go through with this disastrous bill, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be back with similar legislation in the future. And there IS NO version of political censorship legislation that can pass constitutional muster…unless, of course, extremist liberals gain control of the Supreme Court.
Fortunately, this is the one area where we can count on the liberals in the media to stand up for what’s right. They’re willing to submit to the rules of Political Correctness, but they will never stand for a politician who tries to turn those rules into law. Furthermore, the Trump Era, which is tied into this “fake news” hysteria, has been a profit bonanza for media corporations that were facing serious financial problems only a couple of years ago. They may hate Trump and the forces they blame for his election, but they aren’t hating the money. Why kill the golden goose?
If fake news is a legitimate problem, it isn’t nearly as much of a problem as censorship. This bill wouldn’t put us on a slippery slope; it would be a free-fall drop into the abyss of tyranny.
Once again, the true fascists are revealed.
NOW THEY WANT U.S. HOW TO THINK…
Always have. Rememer Hillary said “it takes a village” to raise a child?”
Translation: The government can do a better job (of thought police socialist indoctrination) of raising your child than parents.
SOMEBODY GOT to THINK since these IDIOTS are UNABLE to…..They live in THOUGHT FREE ZONES!!
More like brain free zones.
TRUE THAT It does take having a brain in order to Generate “THOUGHT PROCESSES”…….but then they are born BRAIN-FREE
Only in Kenya, Gonja – Gonja. Southern California a place you have to be able to speak spanish to procure yourself a job. California is a bad dream Gonja – Gonja. Ill bet govenor whack job Jerry has a ranch on the other side of San Diago. Wake the hell up California and take your state back!
MOON BEAM will OBJECT … and his Lemmings will also….and what may we expect from the HOLLYWIERDS??
You ane talking SENSE!!
Hollywood won’t allow that .
Obama was a good sample of that .
Our elected have benefits and a pay check for life that we the people can NOT take away from them . That is why they have so much security that people with good knowledge are kept away.
Thank God for our Constitution and freedom of speech. The Democrats would strip us of all freedoms if they could and dictate what we hear, see, think, believe and say.
What makes you think they already have NOT done that ??? The Media is so lopsided as it is controlled by a handful of people with big bucks that are Demon Rats .
It is time to require an occupational license to be a journalist in the main stream media. Just like a quack physician could lose his license for malpractice, then so could a lying fake journalist. This could become a reality if the article 5 convention of states comes to pass.
Good Idea ,it should also include owners and board of directors.
Laws like that don’t work for Baby Killers–why do you think they would work for Fake News journalisimo’s
It is not a license violation to kill a baby. Your comment does not apply.
Killing unborn PERSONS is a moral violation, an ethical violation, and a Constitutional violation. A law that is un-Constitutional is NO LAW AT ALL!
However, irregardless of how you feel, right or wrong, the reality is performing an abortion is not a violation of professional ethics at this time and is not actionable by complaining about the physician’s license. The laws must be changed.
Fake news and stating false information to control people’s thoughts are a serious problem and must be addressed. Their must be a code that holds our news reporters on course to report on factual information only. An independent oversight team must impose fines, and or remove their liscence
For intentual lies or misinformation being reported. Simply stating factual information ( verifiable) is all that should be required of our news agencies.
It’s way out of hand and it aids and abbeds anyone trying to overthrow our country. We must all push to change these actions. Getting stuck on Stupid will get us all killed.
And you wonder why you are called lala land
TIME FOR THE BIG ONE!
It’s California for gosh sakes. Hillary had it right when she describe these people in Calif. as deplorable. She was talking about these left wing radicals living there………and no this is not “fake News” this is the real deal.
Censorship and then what book burning? I’m all for holding news outlets and others accountable but we must be careful when putting it into law and allowing lawyers to determine what is and isn’t true! I had a friend who was one a long time ago and as a defense attorney he put a Sargent on the stand in a military trial of a young Airmen. By time he was done asking questions it sounded like the Sargent was the one dong drugs and not the Airmen! Years latter I met him as the Prosecuting attorney. in this case I was a witness for the defense and he was just as effective!
Justice may be blind but lawyers are paid to tip the scale in their favor and that we do not need affecting our free press. Look what it Is doing to the cost of medical care.
So FOR nOw Kalophornianation trolls have to READ ALL THE news not just the (D) Anarchy party approved FAUX NEWS.From their PRESSTITUTES PARTNERS …Another good REASON to get Gorsuch on SCOTUS…..and the Next Trump appointee regardless of UPCHUCK, UPCHUCKING as the SICK CLOWN of the US Senate
They’re so blinded by Socialist dogma and rhetoric, that can’t tell the truth from a lie, so…
Wow: The American People are starting to Wake Up, They the Left’s can only tell lies so long, Thats why I now only watch the Conservative News.
BOBBY ~!~
I love the commercial “come to California and live the dream”.
No thank you, I have more fun and less stress living and greater satisfaction living reality.
Keep California! Hope all the Conservatives get out before it falls into the ocean.
I wish it would hurry up & fall into the ocean. Quickly so that none of the liberals & none of the illegals have a chance to escape.
For CA to do this would be an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment, however, it was announced just a day or so that the social media – Facebook, etc. would be taking action to try to eliminate as much fake news as possible. They, as private entities, do have the right to control what is published on their sites,, just as Craigslist did a few years to try to screen out offers for prostitution on their site. This is seems to be working as something like community censorship, where any user can ‘flag’ postings which they suspect are such offers, without violating the constitutional rights of anyone. The CA legislature had the sense to see what they could not do, while Yellow Hair, in his fear and rumor campaign, has issued at least 3 Executive Orders of at lease questionable constitutionality – two to fuel the hysteria against Muslims, and one which, if followed, would infringe on the freedom of speech of certain government employees who have access to scientific data on climate change. The two anti-freedom of religion EO’s have generally been blocked from going into effect by the courts. It would be really nice if the President of the United States would ask for and take legal advice before he stuck his foot in his mouth again.
Nah – ‘Fake News” —- Can’t touch it but ‘Illegals” it’s a go…..LIBERALS = The modern name for the village idiot that won’t Work – Hunt – Fish for themselves but DEMAND freebies from others because it’s their right……
The urrent Democrat Party is more destructive than any other political group in the history of this once great nation! Their intellectual dishonesty is absolutely astonishing! They have mocked God and they will be judged harshly for their foolishness! They have seriously hurt the American people and their actions are nothing short of treasonous!
the law should of went more for the media, cnn, ect.
Lefties have absolutely no sense of humor so this would be a disaster. Next it would be the “Do Not Laugh, Smile nor have Good Time bill. They believe that anyone who is happy must be doing something wrong. The though police would be next. The left wants to take control of everything. Screw That! Don’t like ’em. Don’t need ’em.
That is because it would shut down the MSM.
California back the way from that wall because you’re nothing but a cesspool of lies and deceit anarchy an anti-American rhetoric.
I live here in the land of fruits and nuts..aka..La La Land.The Bolsheviks in charge just passed a law allowing child prostitution. That is deplorable. This bill if passed would end free speech. Who’s going to decide what is fake news or what is hate speech ? It would be anything conservatives say no doubt. 1984 is here.
That law would have immediately made the major fake news sources illegal – MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, New York Times, Los Angles Times, Washington post.
I might be for it if it specifically subjected Libtard candidates, the Kalifornika Politburo, and the kings of FAKE news, the LALA Times and the Than Franthithy Chronicle.
Think they realized that they would be the biggest violators of this law if it were passed.
They are wrong so many times. if not most of the time.
It ain’t the Democrats’ or the “Republicans” who’re to “blame,” but rather an insurgency within our whole political system which brainwashes the masses to react to key words or phrases. Yes, it is the entire information dissemination system – from advertising and entertainment to news reporting, with all of publishing included – which is under the control of five powerful corporate entities – all on the NWO bandwagon. This is the source of “fake-news” as well as the indoctrination of our poor distracted masses, from infancy on upward. George Orwell is ROTFLHAO, in spades. (Read “1984” and while you’re at it, Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World,” and have a big old deja vous).
Constitution? Free speech? Illusion and fantasy – maintained enough to fool us.
Just because the Democrat Party has gone “full blown” Communists does not mean They are foolish.
ecome Aware B