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"
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).
$12.8M
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with multiple district attorneys and the California Privacy Protection Agency, announced a $12.75 million settlement with General Motors for illegally selling hundreds of thousands of Californians' location and driving data to data brokers Verisk and LexisNexis without notice or consent. The settlement includes the largest CCPA penalty to date, a five-year ban on selling driving data to consumer reporting agencies, and requirements to delete retained data and implement a robust privacy program.
The California Privacy Protection Agency Board voted to support two bills (AB 1542 and SB 1106) and took a 'support if amended' position on a third bill (AB 883). These bills aim to strengthen privacy protections by expanding sensitive data protections, improving deletion rights under the Delete Act, and providing expedited deletion for elected officials and judges.
The California Privacy Protection Agency sent a letter to Congress opposing the SECURE Data Act, a federal bill that would preempt state privacy laws like the CCPA and Delete Act. The letter argues the bill would eliminate rights for 40 million Californians, including the DROP platform and opt-out preference signal requirements, and urges Congress to set a floor rather than a ceiling on privacy protections.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by attorneys general from seven other states, filed a lawsuit to block the $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Inc. The lawsuit alleges the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act by reducing competition in local TV markets, leading to higher prices, less local news, and job losses.