xAI's Legal Battle Against Minnesota's Sexually Explicit Deepfake Law Continues
The court has denied xAI's second motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to halt the Minnesota state law that bans sexually explicit deepfake applications.
U.S. Judge Donovan Frank has denied xAI's second motion for a preliminary injunction to halt the sexually explicit deepfake law enacted in Minnesota. With this decision, the law remains in effect, while a broader constitutional legal battle between the parties is expected to continue in the period ahead.
Second Preliminary Injunction Request Denied
U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank rejected xAI's second request for a preliminary injunction, following the company's initial move at the end of July aimed at temporarily halting the law.
The court ruling indicated that the company's claims of suffering irreparable harm due to this law were not sufficient at this stage, though the merits of the case are deemed worthy of examination.
Severe Penal Sanctions Introduced by the Law
The law in effect in Minnesota directly targets service providers in order to prevent the spread of sexually explicit deepfakes and applications generating nudity.
Under the relevant law, heavy financial penalties of up to $500,000 per violation or access instance can be applied, posing serious financial risks for platforms.
Broad Definition of Nudity and Constitutional Debates
The xAI company argues that the definition of nudity in the law is overly broad and that even swimsuit images, shirtless male photos, or humorous imagery could be evaluated within the scope of violations.
Company attorneys claim that this situation restricts freedom of expression, a constitutional right, and can constitute a crime regardless of intent.
Rationale of the Court Ruling and Next Steps
Judge Frank stated that he denied the injunction request, noting that xAI failed to prove irreparable harm and that the balance of harms tipped in favor of the state.
However, the court indicated that the complex constitutional issues brought by artificial intelligence technology would be fully addressed and that the state's motion to dismiss the case would be ruled on soon.
The Company's Moves to Combat Illegal Content
xAI also defends that it has recently taken legal and operational steps to prevent the misuse of its platform for illegal purposes.
According to company data, thousands of accounts were suspended during 2026, thousands of reports were made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and numerous arrests took place.