California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Friday that empowers state campaign finance regulators to impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation on social media influencers who fail to disclose that they were paid to create political content.

The law targets the growing practice of political campaigns and committees using influencer marketing on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to reach younger voters without the transparency requirements that apply to traditional political advertising.

Under the new rules, both the influencers who create the content and the political committees that commission it can face penalties. The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) will have authority to investigate complaints and impose fines, or refer violations to law enforcement for criminal prosecution.

The legislation comes amid growing concern about the role of social media influencers in political campaigns, particularly ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Studies have shown that younger voters increasingly rely on social media for political information, yet much of the influencer-generated political content has operated outside existing disclosure frameworks.

Newsom framed the law as part of a broader package of election security measures signed this week, which also included legislation making it a felony to seize ballots or election records, and protections for vote-by-mail systems against federal interference.

The influencer disclosure law is expected to face legal challenges on First Amendment grounds, with critics arguing it could chill political speech by imposing burdensome disclosure requirements on individuals who may not even realize they are required to register as political advertisers.

Sources