Governor Newsom convenes the first meeting of California’s Tech Fraud Task Force to help strengthen consumer protections
What you need to know: As California remains at the forefront of responsible innovation, Governor Gavin Newsom highlights the state’s efforts at the first convening of the Tech Fraud Task Force. Through partnerships with the best and brightest tech policy experts, the Golden State continues to foster innovation while protecting Californians.
SAN FRANCISCO – On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom convened the first meeting of California’s Tech Fraud Task Force as part of the Governor’s Innovation Council. The Council was first announced last December to bring together state agencies, experts, and tech leaders to leverage opportunities and address risks posed by emerging technologies.
The task force builds on the Governor’s work, which has positioned California as a leader in responsible innovation — embracing the benefits of artificial intelligence while protecting Californians from those who use new tools to exploit seniors, consumers, and small businesses.
Governor Newsom at the first meeting of the California’s Tech Fraud Task Force
California has helped build the modern digital world, and we can’t allow bad actors to twist that progress into a tool for fraud. Tackling consumer fraud is critical to protecting affordability for Californians. The scope and scale of the problem require an all-of-California approach. I am grateful for the work of this task force to protect California consumers and businesses.
Governor Gavin Newsom
KC Mohseni, Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Commissioner, addressing the Tech Fraud Task Force
Leading responsible innovation in the Golden State
Last December, Governor Newsom launched the Governor’s Innovation Council, which leverages the collective knowledge of the nation’s top tech policy experts to help California develop and strengthen its technology policy. The council tackles issues ranging from empowering workers to countering tech fraud to protecting children online.
The Innovation Council includes four working groups or task forces to help target state efforts in different areas impacted by evolving technology including:
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Protecting Child Online Safety and Countering Image-Based Abuse (led by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom with the California Health and Human Services Agency, California Department of Public Health, State Board of Education and the California Department of Technology)
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Modernizing Government Service Delivery (led by the Government Operations Agency, including the California Department of Technology and the Office of Data and Innovation)
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Technology, Economic Development, and Workforce (led by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency)
Governor’s Innovation Council Tech Fraud Task Force convening in San Francisco
The Tech Fraud Task Force is led by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) in collaboration with the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency (BCSH). The Task Force is comprised of:
- AARP
- American Fintech Council
- Anthropic
- Apple
- Aspen Institute
- Atlantic Council
- AT&T
- California Bankers Association
- California Department of Justice
- California Low Income Consumer Coalition
- California’s Credit Unions
- Chainalysis
- Comcast
- Consumer Bankers Association
- Eleven Labs
- Innovative Payments Association
- Latino Prosperity
- Match Group
- Meta
- Microsoft
- Operation Shamrock
- Sardine.AI
- Saver Life
- T-Mobile
- TRM Labs
- Unidos US
Birthplace of modern tech
California is home to 33 of the top 50 private AI companies in the world, and no state has taken more aggressive action to strengthen the safety, security, and consumer privacy of technology and online platforms.
In 2023, Governor Newsom made California the first state to take action on Generative AI policy, announcing an executive order to both responsibly adopt this technology in state government and begin studying its risks. The Governor convened world-leading academic experts to draft the California Report on Frontier AI Policy, providing the state with policy recommendations that helped lead to the Governor’s signature on the first state legislation nationwide, the Transparency in Frontier Technology Act (Senate Bill 53, Wiener) to help ensure that this technology moves forward responsibly. The law has since been replicated and modeled in similar laws adopted in other states.
This builds on other legislation signed by Governor Newsom to create strong protocols for child safety and protections against self-harm, crack down on sexually explicit deepfakes and require AI watermarking, protect performers’ digital likenesses, and prevent scams from AI-generated robocalls. In addition, it supplements the Governor’s March 2026 executive order, which strengthened civil rights and privacy in California’s procurement of AI technology and expanded California’s adoption of AI to improve government services.
Fighting fraud
California fights fraud on all fronts. From securing refunds for mortgage fraud victims to cracking down on deceptive practices by businesses, California is both protecting consumers from fraud and addressing fraud against the government.
See fraud? Report It.
Californians can learn more about California’s efforts to combat government fraud, waste, and abuse and report it directly through stopfraud.ca.gov.