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AB-355 • 2026

Crimes: extortion.

Crimes: extortion.

Technology
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Sanchez
Last action
Official status
Assembly - Died - Appropriations
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source states 'no reimbursement is required... for a specified reason' but does not explicitly list what that specific reason is in the provided text.

Extortion Law Update on AI Threats

AB-355 changes the law to say that threatening someone with artificial intelligence-generated images or videos can count as extortion.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a new type of threat to the definition of extortion under state law involving AI-generated media.
  • States that fear caused by threats to post, distribute, or create AI-generated pictures or videos is enough for an extortion charge.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who threaten others with AI-generated images or videos
  • Victims targeted by threats involving fake digital media

Terms To Know

Extortion
Getting property from someone else, getting them to agree to something, or forcing a public official to act by using force, fear, or the power of their job.
AI-generated images or videos
Pictures or moving pictures created or changed by computer programs instead of being real recordings of events.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill summary does not include a date when this law will officially start working.
  • The source material states no reimbursement is required for local agencies but only mentions it is 'for a specified reason' without listing that specific reason.

Bill History

  1. California Legislative Information

    Assembly - Died - Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Crimes: extortion.