Minnesota moves to ban AI apps that generate fake nude photos

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

On Thursday, the Minnesota Senate voted 65-0 to pass the law House File 1606And send it to Governor Tim Walz for his signature. The measure prevents websites and apps from offering tools that generate fake and realistic nude photos of identifiable people.

Under the bill, companies that control a website, app or software service cannot allow users to access or use the tools to create or create these images on the user’s behalf. Advertising or promoting such services is also prohibited.

The measure allows victims to sue people or companies that operate or control strippers, such as websites, apps or software that create fake nude images. People depicted in AI-generated nude photos can seek damages, including mental anguish, and courts can award up to three times the actual damages, along with punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and orders 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. According to the bill, these penalties would be directed to the state’s general fund and then allocated to victim services, including support for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.

The bill targets tools that require little technical expertise and have become widely available, including to minors. If signed, the law would take effect on August 1 and apply to new cases from that date forward.

Although the new bill does not mention a single AI developer, the news comes after a series of high-profile incidents on the social media platform Taylor Swift. The pop star moved on trademark Its sound and form filed with the US Patent Office in April, perhaps in a move to avoid copying AI in the future.

Musk is also facing mounting legal pressure, including federal pressure Class work A lawsuit filed by three Tennessee minors alleges Grok produced child sexual abuse material from their photos. And also consumer protection lawsuit From Baltimore, the company claims the company knowingly deployed a system that produced and disseminated sexual content without consent, including content from minors.

The proliferation of these tools reflects how quickly artificial intelligence is lowering the barrier to creating and expanding non-consensual intimate images, said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen.

“These apps are 99% targeted at women, more than 90% of whom are under the age of 18,” Weissman said. “They are a tool to intimidate and harass women with really serious psychological consequences.” Decryption. “You’ve seen this all over the country and the world. So the need for government intervention and regulation is urgent.”

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

The Minnesota law also comes during an ongoing battle between President Donald Trump’s administration and states over who should control artificial intelligence Systems. The Take It Down Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in May 2025, Criminalizes Distribution of non-consensual intimate images provides victims with a path to civil damages.

“I think having federal standards and state standards is a positive, especially in theory. We’re talking about different enforcement systems and law enforcement agencies,” Weisman said. “So you may have a federal standard, but you may not have the federal capacity to do enforcement action.”

Governor Walz’s office did not immediately respond DecryptionRequest for comment.