Minnesota’s new ban on “nudify” apps can move forward for now, after a federal judge declined to block it at xAI’s request. The ruling matters because it allows the state to start enforcing the law while the company’s broader constitutional challenge continues.
What the judge decided
U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank denied xAI’s request for a temporary restraining order, a short-term court order that would have paused the law before it took effect. The judge’s reasoning centered in part on timing: xAI filed its request on July 29, 2026, nearly three months after the law was signed and only three days before its scheduled start date on August 1.
Frank said that delay suggested the harm was not immediate.
What the Minnesota law covers
The law targets apps that let users “nudify” images, meaning tools that generate sexualized or explicit depictions from existing photos. According to the reporting, Minnesota’s measure is the first ban of its kind in the United States.
xAI argued that the law is “overinclusive,” meaning it sweeps too broadly, and that less restrictive alternatives could achieve the same goal. The company’s lawsuit is still active, so that argument has not yet been resolved.
Why the case is drawing attention
The dispute lands against a backdrop of concern about non-consensual sexualized images generated with AI tools. Earlier this year, users of Elon Musk’s social platform X reportedly used xAI’s Grok chatbot to flood the platform with such images, prompting investigations and bans.
For now, the practical effect of Frank’s decision is straightforward: Minnesota’s ban can take effect while the court continues to hear xAI’s challenge.