Minnesota passes first state ban on nudification apps
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · May 1
Minnesota passes first state ban on nudification apps
12 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · May 1
The Senate approved the bill 65-0 on Wednesday after House passage last week, and Governor Tim Walz is expected to sign it before enforcement begins in August.
The law lets victims sue developers, allows offending products to be blocked in Minnesota, and permits the attorney general to seek fines of up to $500,000 per fake AI nude.
It followed a case in which a Minnesota man used one app on images of more than 80 women, while exemptions were added for tools requiring technical skill, such as Photoshop.
With AI-generated deepfakes exploding worldwide, can Minnesota’s new law actually curb the spread of harmful nudification apps and protect victims effectively?
Could the exemptions for skilled-user software in Minnesota’s law create loopholes that allow malicious actors to continue generating fake nudes?
As other nations and states race to regulate AI deepfakes, will digital provenance tools become the gold standard for verifying authentic online content?