Elon Musk's X Sues Minnesota Over AI Deepfake Social Media Law

MINNESOTA — Elon Musk’s social media company X sued the state of Minnesota on Wednesday over a 2023 law banning the use of AI-generated “deepfakes” to influence elections, according to reports.

X seeks for the law to be ruled a First Amendment violation and for a permanent injunction to be issued blocking its enforcement, The Hill reported. The lawsuit also seeks a finding that the law is precluded by Section 230, which protects social media companies from liability for user-posted content, according to Reuters.

"This system will inevitably result in the censorship of wide swaths of valuable political speech and commentary,” X said in the complaint, according to Reuters, which noted Musk is a self-described free speech absolutist who removed his platform’s moderation policy when he bought it in 2022.

The Minnesota law defines deepfakes as video, audio or photos made with AI tools to “realistically impersonate” someone without their knowledge or permission, The Hill reported, adding anyone who shares a deepfake widely within 90 days of an election may face criminal action.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who is named as the defendant, did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters or The Hill, according to the publications.