Misinformation Impacts California State Policy Post-LA Fires
Following the Los Angeles fires, misinformation spread on social media platforms. Experts indicate that some false narratives, particularly concerning water, influenced California state policy. Chad Comey, whose five-story condo building was destroyed in the Palisades Fire, stated he and his disabled parents experienced multiple relocations while seeking accessible housing. Comey noted the presence of inaccurate information on social media regarding the fires.
According to Pew Research, over half of Americans obtain at least some news from social media. The fires resulted in 31 fatalities in the Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods and consumed an area approximately three times the size of Manhattan. Max Boykoff, an environmental studies professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, stated that false narratives can divert attention from effective disaster response strategies.
Senate Bill 549 and Misinformation
Senate Bill 549 (SB 549) was impacted by false narratives, according to Julia Stein, deputy director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law.
SB 549, introduced in February, aimed to facilitate funding for local governments to develop transit-oriented and low-income housing, and to establish a central hub for managing LA's post-fire recovery based on an expert panel's recommendation.
A narrative asserted that SB 549 would lead to an influx of high-density affordable housing in fire-affected areas like the Palisades. Spencer Pratt, a podcaster, created a TikTok video viewed over 286,000 times, stating the bill would grant "LA County authority to purchase fire destroyed lots for minimal cost and convert them into low income housing" and "force low-income housing mandates." Pratt indicated he consulted AI chatbots regarding the legislation.
Stein clarified that the bill was designed to finance transit-oriented development within a half-mile of "major transit stops," as defined by California law, which do not include the Palisades neighborhood. She stated that the bill would not have resulted in dense, affordable housing in the Palisades.
In an emailed statement, Spencer Pratt expressed concerns that SB 549 would significantly alter the character of the Pacific Palisades by enabling the government to acquire fire-damaged lots for potential affordable housing, asserting a desire for the area to revert to its previous state. While SB 549 would have permitted the proposed central hub to purchase fire-affected land at a fair price, it did not mandate its use for affordable housing. Pratt's representative stated that AI is not an ongoing source of information for him.
Pratt's video was published on TikTok on July 15. The following day, July 16, California state Sen. Ben Allen, the bill's author, paused SB 549 after his office received hundreds of calls and emails, which was notably higher than typical for a high-profile bill. Stein commented that public reaction was based on inaccurate information. Senator Allen stated that a perceived absence of thorough journalism, alongside misinterpretations of the bill and AI-generated descriptions, hindered productive discussion. He confirmed there are no current plans to advance SB 549.
The delay in establishing a centralized recovery authority, initially envisioned as a single point of accountability and information for residents, was noted by Stein as an unfortunate outcome.
Addressing Information Gaps
Jake Levine, whose mother lost her home in the fires, highlighted a widespread lack of trust in state and local agencies among fire survivors. He noted that some mistrust might be justified, citing a Los Angeles Times investigation that reported the Los Angeles Fire Department deleted and revised drafts of a key report post-fires, altering terms such as "failures" to "primary challenges." Levine advocated for increased direct information sharing from state, local, and federal government agencies to residents on topics like air quality, to reduce reliance on potentially inaccurate third-party sources.
Boykoff emphasized the importance of robust fact-checking by news organizations. He noted that increasing reliance on AI for information may reduce scrutiny of original sources, thereby raising the potential for misinformation. He added that addressing misinformation is increasingly crucial as climate change is projected to increase the frequency and intensity of disasters.