Minnesota lawmakers introduce ‘nudification’ law to combat AI editing of imagery in their fight against the creation of explicit material

Minnesota is taking a major step forward in regulating artificial intelligence by targeting the specific, harmful practice of nudification. Starting on August 1, a new state law will effectively ban access to technology designed to create non-consensual explicit imagery, marking a significant shift in how the state handles digital safety.

According to KTTC, this legislation aims to curb the rapid rise of AI-generated content that targets identifiable individuals. Per The Sun US, this law, known as Minnesota House File 1606, passed with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 132-1 in the state House of Representatives. Lawmakers are focused on creating a safer digital environment by addressing the technology at its source.

The law reportedly provides a very specific definition for the behavior it aims to stop. It classifies nudification as a situation where “an image or video is altered or generated to depict an intimate part not depicted in an original unaltered image or video of an identifiable individual.” This precise language is meant to give legal teeth to the fight against deepfake technology that has already impacted many Minnesotans.

Minnesota is putting the responsibility on companies by controlling access

Per KTTC, lawmakers who pushed for this bill during the 2026 legislative session highlighted the alarming statistics surrounding the use of this software. Rep. Jess Hanson, the DFL representative from Burnsville who carried the bill in the House, emphasized the urgency of the situation.

“We’ve seen a 26,000% increase in the use of this AI material to create child sexual abuse material, and so that awareness was a big piece of it for people,” Hanson said. In fact, a pastor from Idaho was recently sentenced for a collection of child-related explicit material, some of which was AI-generated. 

Rather than penalizing individual users, The Sun noted that the legislation focuses on the companies and service providers that host these tools. The goal is to make it impossible for these services to operate or even advertise within the state. If a site owner is found to violate this new rule, they could face massive financial penalties of up to $500,000 per use or download. 

Rep. Hanson explained that the strategy is to disrupt the supply chain of this harmful material. “This [law] particularly goes at the root of that. So the tool that these folks use to create this material is going to be banned. It cannot be advertised either,” Hanson said per KTTC. By forcing these platforms to either change their practices or face severe consequences, the state hopes to drive these services out of the market entirely.

According to the report, the bill also includes a provision that creates a civil right of action, which allows victims to sue for damages. This gives those who have been targeted a direct path to seek justice. The legislative support for this measure was broad, reflecting a shared concern among representatives from both sides of the aisle. 

The Sun reported that Rep. Ben Bakeberg, a Republican from Jordan, shared his perspective based on his professional background. “I’ve had kids that have been victimized in this area in my [role as a] principal,” Bakeberg said. “So this is easy.”

During the legislative process, there was some debate over how to broaden the scope of the bill. KTTC noted that Republicans attempted to add an amendment that would have required age verification for minors accessing adult content, but it failed on a party-line vote. The DFL authors of the bill argued that the amendment drifted too far from the primary objective of addressing nudification.

Ultimately, the focus remains on corporate responsibility. Lawmakers reportedly believe that tech companies have been failing to police their own platforms effectively. “Corporations have a role in preventing violence in our communities, and this kind of sexual violence is something that they can do something about,” Hanson said. “They claimed they were doing it themselves, and they weren’t, and so now we’re going to hold them accountable to it.”