California Governor Gavin Newsom on September 20, 2026, signed legislation requiring content creators to disclose when they are paid to post political material, with criminal and civil consequences for those who do not comply.
NBC News reported that the law targets influencers operating in the political space and is intended to bring greater transparency to a form of marketing that has been growing in politics. The legislation builds on existing disclosure rules for online creators, according to TechCrunch.
Under the new law, an influencer who accepts payment to promote political content and fails to say so publicly can face both criminal charges and civil liability.