S.T.O.P. Defends California’s AI Transparency Law
(New York, NY, 8/6/26) - The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, recently joined a coalition of 28 scholars and civil society organizations in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, defending the constitutionality of California’s AI training data transparency law. The brief, led by Legal Advocates for Safe Science & Technology (LASST), was filed in xAI LLC v. Bonta, backing California AG Rob Bonta’s defense of Assembly Bill 2013 against Elon Musk’s xAI. AB 2013 requires AI developers to disclose high-level summaries of training data, including copyrighted material, personal information, or non-consensual scraped content, for models offered to Californians. xAI sued in January, calling the mandate a First Amendment violation and trade secret threat; after losing its bid for a preliminary injunction, xAI appealed to the Ninth Circuit. The brief counters that AB 2013 is a routine commercial disclosure law, no different from an ingredient label, that easily survives review under Zauderer v. Office of Disciplinary Counsel, since the disclosures are factual, uncontroversial, and serve substantial government interests in consumer protection, public health, child safety, and privacy.
SEE: xAI LLC v. Bonta - AI Training Data Disclosure Amicus Brief
https://www.stopspying.org/xaillcvbonta
Brief of Amici Curiae Legal Advocates for Safe Science & Technology and Coalition of 28 Scholars and Civil Society Groups in Support of Defendant-Appellee
https://lasst.org/2026/07/22/amicus-brief-to-defend-californias-ai-transparency-law/
“We put ingredients on cereal boxes because people have a right to know what they are consuming,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Legal Director Darío Maestro. “xAI is asking the Ninth Circuit to say that AI is the one product in America too special for that rule. There has been a sustained push to clear state AI rules off the board, and this case is part of that larger move. California is doing exactly what states are supposed to do, which is to protect its residents. The First Amendment is not a reason to stop them.”
SEE: AP - Legal Nonprofit LASST and Broad Coalition Defend the Public’s Right to Know What’s in AI Training Data https://apnews.com/press-release/business-wire/press-release-3fd5be70816444e8bed041c65c5bdfff
In July 2025, S.T.O.P. condemned the White House’s AI Action Plan as a giveaway to Big Tech that prioritized removing “barriers” to AI deployment over public accountability. That effort escalated in the following months, when the administration called for and then moved to formally ban state-level AI regulations altogether.
SEE: Press Release — S.T.O.P. Condemns Trump AI Action Plan as ‘Big Tech Bailout’
https://www.stopspying.org/content-input/stop-condemns-trump-ai-action-plan-as-big-tech-bailout
Press Release — S.T.O.P. Condemns Trump Call To Ban State AI Regulations
https://www.stopspying.org/content-input/x2ktkt53z5g27o7flpnzjz5qivtmqo
S.T.O.P. has also pressed lawmakers directly for stronger, more transparent AI oversight. In testimony before the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Internet and Technology this January, S.T.O.P. Advocacy and Community Engagement Manager Corinne Worthington voiced support for the New York AI Act (S.1169A), calling it the most comprehensive AI governance proposal in the country, while urging lawmakers to strengthen its auditing standards and clarify liability between AI developers and deployers.
SEE: Testimony of Corinne Worthington Before the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Internet and Technology Regarding the New York AI Act (S.1169A), 1/15/26
https://www.stopspying.org/testimony-1/jx30iol40vxiqwlwz2zbiayhe566hs
The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color.
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