California is considering fines of up to $5,000 for social media creators who fail to disclose payments from political campaigns, as candidates increasingly use influencers to reach voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race.

States are debating whether to crack down on social media influencers making political advertisements without disclosing that they were paid.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Weeks before voting ended in California's primary for governor, Los Angeles-based influencer Shaka Smith took to Instagram to tell his more than 700,000…