Rumble Sues California Over Censorship Law

Rhea-AI Summary

Rumble (NASDAQ:RUM) has filed a lawsuit against California's Attorney General and Secretary of State challenging AB 2655, a recently passed law requiring online platforms to remove or label content deemed 'materially deceptive' about elections, public officials, and candidates. The law was expedited after Governor Gavin Newsom's complaints about a satirical video of Kamala Harris. Rumble is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which also represents The Babylon Bee in a related lawsuit. The case was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division.

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• None.

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• Legal expenses and resources required for lawsuit against California
• Potential regulatory risks from new content moderation laws
• Operating uncertainties in California market due to new legislation

LONGBOAT KEY, Fla., Nov. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rumble (NASDAQ:RUM), the video-sharing platform and cloud services provider, today sued the California Attorney General and Secretary of State over a recently passed law that unconstitutionally punishes certain political speech. Rumble is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a non-profit law firm that defends the right to speak freely and which also represents the satirical website “The Babylon Bee” in a related lawsuit. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division.

The law at issue, AB 2655, requires online platforms to receive reports about posts related to elections, public officials, and candidates for office that are deemed “materially deceptive” and then remove or label the content.

The law was fast-tracked in July when California Gov. Gavin Newsom complained that an online video satirizing the Democratic candidate for president, Kamala Harris, ought to be “illegal.” The state legislature responded by passing a package of bills, which Newsom signed. He subsequently celebrated that he had successfully banned the video that had offended him in the first place.  

“The very thought of the government judging the content of political speech, and then deciding whether it should be permitted, censored, or eliminated altogether is about the most chilling thing you could imagine,” said Chris Pavlovski, Chairman and CEO of Rumble. “Rumble
will always celebrate freedom and support creative independence, so we’re delighted to work with ADF to help protect lawful online expression.”

ABOUT RUMBLE

Rumble is a high-growth video platform and cloud services provider that is creating an independent infrastructure. Rumble’s mission is to restore the internet to its roots by making it free and open once again. For more information, visit: corp.rumble.com.

Contact: press@rumble.com

FAQ

Why is Rumble (RUM) suing California in 2024?

Rumble is suing California over AB 2655, a law requiring platforms to remove or label 'materially deceptive' content about elections and politicians, which the company argues is unconstitutional censorship.

What is California's AB 2655 law that affects Rumble (RUM)?

AB 2655 is a California law requiring online platforms to monitor and remove or label content deemed 'materially deceptive' about elections, public officials, and political candidates.

Who is representing Rumble (RUM) in the California lawsuit?

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a non-profit law firm, is representing Rumble in its lawsuit against California's censorship law.