FCC makes robocalls using AI-generated voices illegal

WASHINGTON D.C. — It’s hard to escape those annoying scam robocalls. Now criminals are using voice cloning technology to impersonate your close family members, celebrities, and politicians.

“We know the value of voting Democratic when our votes count,” said a deepfake vote of President Joe Biden in an audio clip obtained by CNN.

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This is one of the latest examples of deepfake robocalls. In this case, it targeted thousands of New Hampshire voters and discouraged people from voting.

“It’s concerning that the average person would have to constantly be vigilant about what they’re reading what they’re seeing,” said Ben Winters, senior counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC).

This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) outlawed scam robocalls containing voices generated by artificial intelligence. FCC officials say this ruling also gives state Attorneys General more legal tools to pursue criminals using this technology.

“Having the FCC clarify that ai generated calls fall within their regulatory power and the limitations of that law is really important,” said Alexandra Reeve Givens, president, and CEO at the Center for Democracy and Technology.

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In addition to this ruling, Givens believes increased vote education is key to helping combat election misinformation and disinformation.

“So, the second a voter gets a call saying that they don’t have to turn up on election day? Where do they go to actually get the gut check on what to believe,” said Givens. “That means that our local election officials really have to be doing a good job of getting out authoritative information to reassure people.”

There are also some hefty fines if you break the law. The FCC said the maximum penalty is more than $23,000 for each call.

This new FCC ruling also gives you more power. It allows individuals to take legal action against robocallers in court.

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