Minnesota Moves to Ban AI Apps That Generate Fake Nude Images

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

On Thursday, the Minnesota Senate voted 65-0 in favor of the proposal House file 1606and sends it to Governor Tim Walz for signature. The measure prevents websites and apps from offering tools that generate realistic fake nude images of identifiable people.

Under the bill, companies that operate a website, app or software service would not be allowed to give users access to tools or use tools to create or generate these images on behalf of a user. Advertising or promoting such services is also prohibited.

This measure allows victims to sue the people or companies that operate or control nudification tools, such as websites, apps or software that generate fake nude images. People depicted in AI-generated nude images can seek damages, including for mental suffering, and courts can award up to three times actual damages, along with punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and injunctions to stop the conduct.

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

The bill focuses on aids that require little technical expertise and have become widely accessible, including for minors. If signed, the law will come into effect on August 1 and apply to new cases from that date.

While the new bill does not refer to a single AI developer, the news comes after a series of high-profile incidents on the social platform The pop superstar decided to have her voice and likeness registered with the US Patent Office in April, perhaps in an effort to prevent future AI reproductions.

Musk is also facing mounting legal pressure, including a federal class action lawsuit filed by three Tennessee minors alleging that Grok generated child sexual abuse material from their images. Also, a consumer protection lawsuit from the City of Baltimore alleges that the company knowingly deployed a system that produces and distributes non-consensual sexualized content, including of minors.

Robert Weissman, co-chairman of Public Citizen, said the proliferation of these tools reflects how quickly AI has lowered the barrier to creating non-consensual intimate images and expanded its reach.

“These apps are 99% targeted at women, over 90% of whom are under the age of 18. It is a tool for harassment and intimidation against women with very serious psychological consequences,” Weissman told me. Declutter. “You’ve seen this across the country and around the world. So the need for government intervention and regulation is acute.”

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

Minnesota’s law also comes amid an ongoing battle between President Donald Trump’s administration and states over who should control AI regulation. The Take It Down Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump in May 2025, criminalizes the non-consensual distribution of intimate images and allows victims to seek civil damages.

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

Governor Walz’s office did not immediately respond Declutter‘s request for comment.