Latest news with #misinformation
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newsom sues Fox News for defamation over story about phone call with Trump
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing Fox News for defamation, alleging that the news outlet intentionally manipulated its coverage to give the appearance that the governor lied about a phone call with President Trump. The governor's demand for $787 million in punitive damages escalates his aggressive effort to challenge misinformation. The lawsuit, announced Friday, places Newsom at the forefront of the political proxy war between Democrats and Republicans over the press by calling out an outlet that many in his party despise. "By disregarding basic journalistic ethics in favor of malicious propaganda, Fox continues to play a major role in the further erosion of the bedrock principles of informed representative government," the suit states. "Setting the record straight and confronting Fox's dishonest practices are critical to protecting democracy from being overrun by disinformation and lies." Newsom, a potential presidential candidate, said he decided to sue in part because Fox failed to change after admitting in a legal settlement two years ago to spreading falsehoods about the 2020 presidential election. In response to Newsom's lawsuit, Fox criticized the California governor, accusing him of undercutting the 1st Amendment. "Gov. Newsom's transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him. We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed,' Fox News said in a statement Friday morning. The case stems from comments Trump made about a phone call with Newsom as tensions heated up between the two leaders over immigration raids and the president's decision to deploy the National Guard to the streets of Los Angeles. Trump told reporters on June 10 that he spoke with Newsom 'a day ago.' 'Called him up to tell him, got to do a better job, he's doing a bad job,' Trump said. 'Causing a lot of death and a lot of potential death.' Newsom immediately rejected Trump's timeline on social media. The governor had already spoken publicly about talking to Trump on the phone late in the night on June 6 in California, which was early June 7 for Trump on the East Coast. Newsom said the National Guard was never discussed during that call. They didn't talk again, he said. 'There was no call,' Newsom posted on X. 'Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn't even know who he's talking to.' Newsom's lawyers allege in the complaint that by making the call seem more recent, Trump could suggest they discussed the deployment of troops to Los Angeles, which they had not. Read more: L.A. immigration raids force the undocumented to trade their freedom for safety Trump attempted to fire back at Newsom through Fox and shared a screenshot of his call log with anchor John Roberts. The log showed that a phone call occurred on June 7 and provided no evidence of a call on June 9 as Trump claimed. "It is impossible to know for certain whether President Trump's distortion was intentionally deceptive or merely a result of his poor cognitive state, but Fox's decision to cover up for the President's false statement cannot be so easily dismissed," the complaint states. Newsom's legal team said Roberts initially misrepresented the situation to viewers "to obscure President Trump's false statement of fact." Then during an evening broadcast on June 10, Fox News host Jesse Watters showed a video of Trump's comments about the phone call but omitted the president saying that it happened 'a day ago.' The edit made it appear that Newsom alleged the two never spoke at all. 'Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him? Why would he do that?' Watters then asked. A banner at the bottom of the screen during the segment claimed "Gavin lied about Trump's call." Newsom's lawyers said Fox "willfully distorted the facts" and defamed Newsom to tens of millions of people. "Fox advanced this lie about Governor Newsom out of a desire to harm him politically," the complaint states. Newsom is particularly attuned to his critics on Fox, a conservative-leaning television network that he describes as the epicenter of a right-wing media ecosystem that misleads the public to benefit Trump and his allies. Similar to reports of Trump watching CNN, the governor regularly follows Fox political coverage. He pays close attention to the outlet's assessment of his leadership. Fox commentators and opinion hosts, such as Watters, are given a wide berth to express their views, even when they contradict the reporting of its nonpartisan correspondents. They aggressively defend Trump and his policies, while often casting California as a failed state with incompetent leadership. But Newsom has also benefited from Fox and used his appearances on the network to brandish his image as a brawler for Democrats and his standing as a potential future presidential candidate. Fox hosted a much talked about debate between Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023. The California governor also participated in a sit-down interview with Sean Hannity, which drew praise from within and outside of his party. Read more: 'You gonna let him die?' Agents pile on protester, who convulses and struggles to breathe During a talk on the social media website Substack on Friday, Newsom said he started going on Fox to disrupt propaganda and the network's narrative about Democrats. "I have a high threshold for the bulls— on Fox, is the point," Newsom said. "I wouldn't do this unless I felt they really did cross the line." The amount of the governor's request for damages was a subtle dig at the outlet. Fox agreed two years ago to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787 million to drop a lawsuit related to the network's false claims that voting machines were manipulated to help President Biden win the 2020 election. The news organization settled the case rather than put its executives and on-air talent on the witness stand in a high-profile trial. Fox faces a similar lawsuit from Smartmatic, a Boca Raton, Fla.-based voting machine company that claims its business had been hurt because of the network's reporting. The news outlet has maintained that reporting on Trump's fraud claims was newsworthy and protected by the 1st Amendment. Barring a settlement, the case could go to trial next year. In a letter to Fox, Newsom's lawyers said they will voluntarily dismiss the governor's suit if the outlet retracts its claims that he lied about speaking to Trump. 'We expect that you will give the same airtime in retracting these falsehoods as you spent presenting and amplifying them,' his lawyers stated. 'Further, Mr. Watters and Fox News must issue a formal on-air apology for the lie you have spread about Governor Newsom.' The governor said any damages he might receive from the lawsuit, punitive or otherwise, would go to charity. Times staff writer Stephen Battaglio contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Washington Post
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Denmark seeks to make it illegal to spread deepfake images, citing concern about misinformation
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Denmark is taking steps toward enacting a ban on the use of 'deepfake' imagery online, saying such digital manipulations can stir doubts about reality and foster misinformation. The government said in a statement published Thursday that a 'broad cross section' of parties in parliament support greater protections against deepfakes and a planned bill is expected to make it illegal to share them or other digital imitations of personal characteristics.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Denmark seeks to make it illegal to spread deepfake images, citing concern about misinformation
Denmark is taking steps toward enacting a ban on the use of 'deepfake' imagery online, saying such digital manipulations can stir doubts about reality and foster misinformation. The government said in a statement published Thursday that a 'broad cross section' of parties in parliament support greater protections against deepfakes and a planned bill is expected to make it illegal to share them or other digital imitations of personal characteristics. Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt, in a statement, said that it was 'high time that we now create a safeguard against the spread of misinformation and at the same time send a clear signal to the tech giants.' Officials said the measures are believed to be among the most extensive steps yet taken by a government to combat misinformation through deepfakes, which refers to highly realistic but fabricated content created by artificial intelligence tools. Deepfakes usually come in the form of pictures or video but can also be audio. They can make it appear that someone said or did something that they didn't actually say or do. Famous figures who have been depicted in deepfakes include Taylor Swift and Pope Francis. Authorities in different countries have taken varying approaches to tackling deepfakes, but they've mostly focused on sexually explicit images. U.S. President Donald Trump signed bipartisan legislation in May that makes it illegal to knowingly publish or threaten to publish intimate images without a person's consent, including deepfakes. Last year, South Korea rolled out measures to curb deepfake porn, including harsher punishment and stepped up regulations for social media platforms. Supporters of the Danish idea say that as technology advances, it will soon be impossible for people online to distinguish between real and manipulated material. 'Since images and videos also quickly become embedded in people's subconscious, digitally manipulated versions of an image or video can create fundamental doubts about — and perhaps even a completely wrong perception of — what are genuine depictions of reality,' an English translation of a ministry statement said. 'The agreement is therefore intended to ensure the right to one's own body and voice.' The proposal would still allow for 'parodies and satire' — though the ministry didn't specify how that would be determined. It said that the rules would only apply in Denmark, and violators wouldn't be subject to fines or imprisonment — even if some 'compensation' could be warranted. The ministry said that a proposal will be made to amend Danish law on the issue this summer with an aim toward passage late this year or in early 2026. Any changes must abide by the country's international obligations and European Union law, it said.
Associated Press
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Denmark seeks to make it illegal to spread deepfake images, citing concern about misinformation
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark is taking steps toward enacting a ban on the use of 'deepfake' imagery online, saying such digital manipulations can stir doubts about reality and foster misinformation. The government said in a statement published Thursday that a 'broad cross section' of parties in parliament support greater protections against deepfakes and a planned bill is expected to make it illegal to share them or other digital imitations of personal characteristics. Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt, in a statement, said that it was 'high time that we now create a safeguard against the spread of misinformation and at the same time send a clear signal to the tech giants.' Officials said the measures are believed to be among the most extensive steps yet taken by a government to combat misinformation through deepfakes, which refers to highly realistic but fabricated content created by artificial intelligence tools. Deepfakes usually come in the form of pictures or video but can also be audio. They can make it appear that someone said or did something that they didn't actually say or do. Famous figures who have been depicted in deepfakes include Taylor Swift and Pope Francis. Authorities in different countries have taken varying approaches to tackling deepfakes, but they've mostly focused on sexually explicit images. U.S. President Donald Trump signed bipartisan legislation in May that makes it illegal to knowingly publish or threaten to publish intimate images without a person's consent, including deepfakes. Last year, South Korea rolled out measures to curb deepfake porn, including harsher punishment and stepped up regulations for social media platforms. Supporters of the Danish idea say that as technology advances, it will soon be impossible for people online to distinguish between real and manipulated material. 'Since images and videos also quickly become embedded in people's subconscious, digitally manipulated versions of an image or video can create fundamental doubts about — and perhaps even a completely wrong perception of — what are genuine depictions of reality,' an English translation of a ministry statement said. 'The agreement is therefore intended to ensure the right to one's own body and voice.' The proposal would still allow for 'parodies and satire' — though the ministry didn't specify how that would be determined. It said that the rules would only apply in Denmark, and violators wouldn't be subject to fines or imprisonment — even if some 'compensation' could be warranted. The ministry said that a proposal will be made to amend Danish law on the issue this summer with an aim toward passage late this year or in early 2026. Any changes must abide by the country's international obligations and European Union law, it said.
CBC
17 hours ago
- CBC
School zones won't be 24/7, 'disreputable' websites are sharing misinformation: B.C. RCMP
Rules around school zones aren't changing on July 1, contrary to what some "disreputable websites" are claiming, says the B.C. RCMP's Highway Patrol. The posted speed limit in school zones is 30 km/h and is in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days, unless the sign indicates otherwise, according to provincial law. Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said police have been receiving questions about "persistent rumours" that school zone speed limits across Canada will be in effect 24/7 starting on Canada Day. "These rumours are false. They are not true, but they are a bit sticky — especially on social media," he said. McLaughlin noted there are a few clues that indicate the rumours were never legitimate. One "red flag," he said, is that the rumour said federal laws were changing when traffic laws are mandated primarily by provinces. "And all of these complicated changes happening at once rather quickly – another red flag." McLaughlin said some police research showed a website in India appeared to be one of the early sources of the rumour, but it wasn't clear if it was repeating false information that was already online. He said social media and online artificial intelligence, including those found through search engines, are amplifying the misinformation. Harder to find facts, says misinformation expert Heidi Tworek, a professor and director for the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions at the University of B.C., said it's unfortunate but not surprising that AI could be misleading the public. As AI becomes increasingly common, it's harder to determine whether information is trustworthy or not, she said. And it's particularly concerning from a Canadian perspective, as the incident shows certain AI has not been programmed to prioritize more trustworthy sources such as government websites. "That really opens the door to more misinformation," said Tworek. She noted search engines like Google are frequently putting AI-generated answers at the top of search results. But Tworek added it's easy for bad actors to create a website — or 20 — with low-quality information, which is then harvested by AI. "If you put garbage in, you will get garbage out," she said. AI-generated search results summarize what exists online, but don't necessarily prioritize high-quality information, according to Tworek. She suggested scrolling past them to find direct, primary sources of information. Tworek also recommended asking a chatbot for its sources, particularly for important information like traffic laws. McLaughlin agreed. "Be thoughtful about what you're repeating, and if it doesn't seem like it's real and there are problems with the information, then don't repeat them," he said.
