The FCC Made AI Deepfake Election Interference Robocalls Illegal

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The FCC has made it illegal to interfere in an election with AI deepfake robocalls like the fakes of Joe Biden that targeted New Hampshire Democrats.

The AP reported:

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday outlawed robocalls that contain voices generated by artificial intelligence, a decision that sends a clear message that exploiting the technology to scam people and mislead voters won’t be tolerated.

Those who break the law can face steep fines, with a maximum of more than $23,000 per call, the FCC said. The agency has previously used the consumer law to clamp down on robocallers interfering in elections, including imposing a $5 million fine on two conservative hoaxers for falsely warning people in predominantly Black areas that voting by mail could heighten their risk of arrest, debt collection and forced vaccination.

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The law also gives call recipients the right to take legal action and potentially recover up to $1,500 in damages for each unwanted call.

The FCC ruling is more than a big fine and legal liability, State attorneys general now have a mechanism that they can use to prosecute these offenses.

None of this is expected to make election interference deep fake robocalls go away, but if they are attempted on a mass scale, there are now some tools in the toolbox for prosecution.

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