Services would be barred from offering realistic AI nude-image creation

Website, application, software, and service operators must not let users create realistic nude images or create them for users, and no person may advertise or promote such services. The rule covers images or videos that identify a person and realistically show an intimate body part missing from the original image or video. The prohibition does not apply when the service requires the user to use substantial, individualized human technical or artistic skill to create the image or video. The rule applies to causes of action accruing on or after August 1, 2026.

A person shown in an unlawfully nudified image or video may sue the violator in district court. The person depicted may seek damages, punitive damages, an order stopping the conduct, attorney fees, court costs, and other fair relief. Compensatory damages may include mental anguish or suffering and may reach up to three times the actual damages. A Minnesota court may hear the case if either the plaintiff or defendant lives in Minnesota. The case may be filed in the county where the plaintiff lives. These civil actions apply to causes of action accruing on or after August 1, 2026.

The attorney general may enforce the rule, and violators may face a civil penalty of up to $500,000 for each unlawful access, download, or use. Collected penalties go to the general fund and are later used for grants supporting organizations that serve crime victims and survivors. Each July 1, money collected during the prior year is made available for these grants. Grants may support direct assistance, staff wages, housing support, culturally responsive programs, prevention work, and other survivor needs. Services must reach underserved communities affected by violence, and up to five percent may cover grant administration. The enforcement and grant provisions apply to causes of action accruing on or after August 1, 2026; annual grant funding is distributed each July 1.