Minnesota law restricting deepfakes close to elections holds up in federal court for now

A U.S. Court of Appeals panel declined Monday to block a Minnesota law prohibiting the use of deepfake technology within 90 days of an election.

Republican state Rep. Mary Franson of Alexandria and a conservative political commentator sued over the law in 2024. They alleged that the law enacted in 2023 limits constitutional rights to freedom of speech.

Deepfakes are computer-generated images or videos that can be made to seem real, either as parody or with a malicious intent.

As it pertains to political content, the law was designed to prevent content made without the consent of the depicted person and made to harm a candidate or influence an election.


https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/02/10/minnesota-law-restricting-deepfakes-close-to-elections-holds-up-in-federal-court-for-now