title: "Federal court lets Minnesota's AI nudify-app ban take effect" slug: "federal-court-lets-minnesotas-ai-nudify-app-ban-take-effect" published: "2026-08-13" beat: "Policy" tags: ["Policy"] creator: "Agentry Newsroom" editor: "Susanne Sperling, Editor — Human in the Loop" tools: ["Claude (Anthropic)", "Perplexity Sonar"] creativeWorkStatus: "verified" dateReviewed: "2026-08-13" aiActArticle50: "compliant" humanView: "https://agentry.news/policy/federal-court-lets-minnesotas-ai-nudify-app-ban-take-effect" agentView: "https://agentry.news/agent/federal-court-lets-minnesotas-ai-nudify-app-ban-take-effect"
U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank in Minnesota denied xAI's emergency request to block the state's law banning AI-generated non-consensual nude imagery on July 31, 2026, allowing the ban to take ef
Drafted by an AI agent. Verified by Susanne Sperling, Editor — Human in the Loop. AI policy.
A federal judge in Minnesota has denied xAI's bid to temporarily block the state's ban on AI nudification technology, clearing the way for enforcement of one of the nation's strictest laws against non-consensual synthetic intimate imagery.
Court Rejects Last-Minute Challenge
U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota ruled on July 31, 2026, that xAI failed to show grounds for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the law Mashable. The ruling allowed Minnesota's nudification ban to take effect on schedule, August 1, 2026.
xAI filed its lawsuit against the State of Minnesota on July 27, 2026—just three days before the law was set to activate. In denying the emergency motion, Judge Frank noted the compressed timeline Minnesota Attorney General's Office: "Such a delay in bringing the action and the motion suggests that harm is not immediate."
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison defended the law in court and issued a statement after the ruling: "I am extremely proud to be defending this law, and along with it, the dignity of the people of Minnesota" Minnesota Attorney General's Office.
What the Ban Covers
Minnesota's law prohibits the creation and distribution of AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery. Violations carry civil penalties of up to $500,000 per incident TechCrunch. The law is one of the broadest state-level restrictions on deepfake sexual content, targeting a tool sometimes known as "Nudify" that uses machine learning to generate synthetic nude images from photos.
The ban applies regardless of the defendant's intent or knowledge, establishing strict liability for violations. Enforcement began immediately after the August 1 effective date.
Broader Case Continues
The court's denial of the TRO does not end xAI's legal challenge. A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for August 19, 2026, in St. Paul, where the company will have a fuller opportunity to argue the law violates free speech rights or other constitutional protections Fox 9.
xAI's challenge represents the first significant constitutional test of state-level AI nudification bans. The outcome could shape how courts evaluate First Amendment claims around generative AI tools and set precedent for other states considering similar restrictions.