# Minnesota's deepfake law banning nudification apps takes effect with up to $500K penalties

> Minnesota has become the first US state to directly ban the AI apps that digitally undress people in photos. The law, signed by Governor Walz in May and effective August 1, forbids operators from letting users access these nudification tools and carries civil penalties of up to $500,000 per violation. Crucially, it gives victims a private right of action, meaning they can sue the people and services responsible directly. The law took effect despite an ongoing lawsuit challenging it, and it marks a shift in how governments approach AI-generated abuse. Rather than broad, slow-moving rules, Minnesota targeted one specific and widely condemned use of the technology. Other states are watching and considering similar measures. It is a small but concrete example of regulation catching up to a real harm, and a test of whether laws aimed at specific AI tools can survive the free-speech and jurisdictional challenges that are sure to follow.

_Section: [Daily AI Updates](https://www.wortins.com/daily-ai) · Source: MPR News · Published Thursday, August 6, 2026_

## Wortins' read

Minnesota has become the first US state to directly ban the AI apps that digitally undress people in photos. The law, signed by Governor Walz in May and effective August 1, forbids operators from letting users access these nudification tools and carries civil penalties of up to $500,000 per violation. Crucially, it gives victims a private right of action, meaning they can sue the people and services responsible directly. The law took effect despite an ongoing lawsuit challenging it, and it marks a shift in how governments approach AI-generated abuse. Rather than broad, slow-moving rules, Minnesota targeted one specific and widely condemned use of the technology. Other states are watching and considering similar measures. It is a small but concrete example of regulation catching up to a real harm, and a test of whether laws aimed at specific AI tools can survive the free-speech and jurisdictional challenges that are sure to follow.

## Source

[Read the full story at MPR News](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/08/04/despite-lawsuit-minnesotas-nudification-law-is-in-effect)

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