Minnesota bans AI apps that create fake nude images

Minnesota lawmakers have passed a bill aimed at stopping growing forms of AI abuse by targeting the platforms that enable it.

The Minnesota Senate on Thursday voted 65-0 to pass House File 1606, sending it to Gov. Tim Walz for his signature. This metric prevents websites and apps from providing tools to create realistic fake nude images of identifiable people.

Under the bill, companies that manage websites, apps or software services cannot allow users to access or use tools that create such images or create them on behalf of users. Advertising or promoting such services is also prohibited.

The bill would allow victims to sue people or companies that operate or control nudity tools, such as websites, apps or software that create fake nude images. People depicted in AI-generated nude images can seek damages, including mental distress, and courts can award up to three times actual damages, along with punitive damages, attorney fees, and injunctions to stop the conduct.

The bill also gives the state attorney general the authority to enforce the law, with civil penalties of up to $500,000 per use. Under the bill, those fines would go to the state’s general fund and then be appropriated for victim services, including support for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.

The bill targets tools that require little technical expertise and are widely accessible, including to minors. If signed, the law would take effect Aug. 1 and apply to new cases after that date.

While the new bill doesn’t mention a single AI developer, the news comes after a series of high-profile incidents on the social platform The pop superstar registered her voice and likeness as a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in April, likely a move to prevent future AI reproductions.

Musk is also facing mounting legal pressure, including a federal class-action lawsuit filed by three Tennessee minors who claim Grok created child sexual abuse material from their images. Additionally, Baltimore City’s consumer protection lawsuit alleges that the company knowingly distributed a system to create and disseminate non-consensual sexual content involving minors.

Robert Weissman, co-chair of Public Citizen, said the proliferation of these tools reflects how quickly AI has lowered the barriers and expanded the scope of creating non-consensual intimate images.

“Ninety-nine percent of these apps are targeted at women, and more than 90% of them are under the age of 18. They are tools to threaten and harass women and have very serious psychological consequences,” Weissman said. decryption. “This phenomenon has been seen across the country and around the world, so government intervention and regulation is desperately needed.”

Weissman added that state-level laws could play a role alongside federal efforts, especially when it comes to enforcement. He said local authorities may be better positioned to act quickly on individual cases, but federal agencies may choose to prioritize them or not pursue them at all.

The Minnesota law also comes amid an ongoing fight between President Donald Trump’s administration and the state over who should control AI regulation. The Take It Down Act, signed by President Donald Trump in May 2025, criminalizes the distribution of non-consensual intimate images and provides victims with a path to seek civil damages.

“I think it’s a positive thing to have complementary federal and state standards, especially in theory. We’re talking about different enforcement systems and enforcement agencies,” Weissman said. “So there may be a federal standard, but there may not be the federal authority to take enforcement action.”

Governor Walz’s office did not immediately respond. decryptionThis is a request for your opinion.