Rumble Sues California For ‘Censorship’ Over Laws Restricting User Speech
SUMMARY
Rumble has filed a lawsuit against California, accusing the state of forcing the social media platform to censor both its own and its users’ speech. The lawsuit, filed by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, challenges two recent California laws—AB 2655 and AB 2839—designed to combat the use of deepfakes and political disinformation. The laws require platforms like Rumble to restrict content deemed harmful, such as political commentary regarding elections, a move Rumble argues infringes on free speech. Chris Pavlovski, CEO of Rumble, called these laws “censorship” and warned of the dangers of the government deciding what political content should be allowed. The laws were introduced in response to concerns over deepfakes in political ads, notably following a parody video of Kamala Harris, but critics argue they give the government too much control over online speech.
