X Sues Minnesota Over Deepfake Law, Citing Free Speech Violations

Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has filed a lawsuit against Minnesota, challenging a state law that prohibits the dissemination of AI-generated deepfakes intended to influence elections. X argues that the law is overly vague and unintelligible, potentially leading to excessive censorship of political speech and violating First Amendment free speech protections. The company claims the statute incentivizes platforms to remove content that could be considered a 'close call' under the law to avoid criminal liability, which could stifle valuable debate and commentary. X also contends the law conflicts with Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects platforms from liability for user-generated content. The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction against enforcement of the law, asserting it creates a chilling effect on protected speech. Minnesota is one of over 20 states with similar legislation, reflecting widespread concern about the potential misuse of AI in elections.