The FCC Made AI Deepfake Election Interference Robocalls Illegal

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.

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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.

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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.

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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