Elon Musk's X sues to overturn Minnesota political deepfakes ban

X, the social media platform owned by Trump adviser Elon Musk, is challenging the constitutionality of a Minnesota ban on using deepfakes to influence elections and harm candidates. The former Twitter company sued in federal court this week, saying the law violates First Amendment speech protections. The 2023 law imposes criminal penalties — including jail time — for disseminating a deepfake if a person knows it is fake, or acts with reckless disregard, with the intent to injure a candidate or influence an election result. The law's author defends it as clear, precise and limited in ways that protect satire and parody.