The Babylon Bee, a Christian satire news website, has filed a lawsuit against New Mexico state officials over HB 182, a law passed in 2024 that mandates AI disclaimers on certain political advertisements. The law, which amended New Mexico’s Campaign Reporting Act, requires that images, videos, or audio content influenced or created by artificial intelligence and deemed "materially deceptive media" must display a prominent AI disclaimer.

The Babylon Bee argues that this requirement forces warning labels on political satire and parody, violating fundamental free speech rights and due process. The lawsuit, filed with assistance from the legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), claims the law chills speech and undermines the intent of comedy. The complaint states, "This disclaimer alters the content of the satire and parody The Bee wants to express by alerting the viewer to the satirical or parodical nature of the communication and thereby depriving the expression of its rhetorical force. Put simply, HB 182 spoils the joke as it begins, each and every time."

Alliance Defending Freedom counsel Jim Campbell criticized HB 182, saying it "crosses a dangerous line by penalizing political humor," and called the forced disclaimers unconstitutional government coercion that threatens core political speech.

The Babylon Bee has stated it is unwilling to publish content with the mandated label because it would alter its message. However, a spokesperson for the site described the pre-enforcement lawsuit as "baseless."

Separately noted in the coverage, a Tennessee man jailed for 37 days over a Facebook meme mocking Charlie Kirk's death recently won an $850,000 settlement.

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