Secretary of Government Operations: deepfakes.

Existing law establishes the Government Operations Agency, which consists of several departments, including the Department of General Services. Existing law requires that the department develop and enforce policy and procedures and institute or cause the institution of those investigations and proceedings as it deems proper to assure effective operation of all functions performed by the department and to conserve the rights and interests of the state. Under existing law, the Government Operations Agency is under the direction of an executive officer known as the Secretary of Government Operations, who is appointed by, and holds office at the pleasure of, the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. Existing law also provides it is unlawful for a person doing business in California and advertising to consumers in California to make any false or misleading advertising claim. Existing law prohibits a person from registering, trafficking in, or using in bad faith a domain or subdomain name that is identical or confusingly similar to another domain or subdomain name, because of, among other things, misspelling of the domain or subdomain name, as specified. This bill, until January 1, 2025, would require the Secretary of Government Operations, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to evaluate, among other things, the impact the proliferation of deepfakes, as defined, has and the risks, including privacy risks, associated with the deployment of digital content forgery technologies and deepfakes on government, businesses, and residents of the state. The bill would require the secretary to develop a coordinated plan to accomplish specified objectives, including investigating the feasibility of, and obstacles to, developing standards and technologies for state departments for determining digital content provenance. The bill, on or before October 1, 2024, would require the secretary to report to the Legislature on the potential uses and risks of deepfake technology to the state and businesses, as specified.