A judge kept Minnesota's nudification ban alive, and xAI will appeal
U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank denied xAI's request for a preliminary injunction. Minnesota's law therefore remains in effect while xAI's First Amendment challenge proceeds. The law bars website operators, software developers and others from letting users create realistic fake nude images of identifiable people. It took effect on August 1. xAI said in a court filing that it would appeal to the Eighth Circuit.
Verified 3:37 AM PDT · 2 original sources
The ruling does not settle whether the law is constitutional. Frank said the issues are complex and deserve full review. At this stage, he found that xAI had not shown the harm needed for an injunction. Minnesota's law regulates access to a category of tool. That means the final case can reach beyond a rule aimed only at distributing nonconsensual images.
The Eighth Circuit can pause the law or leave it in force. Watch how the courts treat the law's scope, its technical-skill exemption and its penalties. Other states will decide whether to copy Minnesota's approach to tool access or use narrower consent and takedown rules.
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- ReutersMusk's xAI loses court bid to block Minnesota's AI nudification ban ↗
- Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChapter 72, H.F. No. 1606: Prohibition on nudification technology ↗
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