Sorry, scammers: The FCC says AI robocalls are definitely illegal
(2024/02/08)
- Reference: 1707416113
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/02/08/sorry_scammers_the_fcc_says/
- Source link:
The US Federal Communications Commission has finally formally declared AI-generated voices in robocalls illegal, and it didn't even need a new law to get the job done.
In a unanimously-decided declaratory ruling adopted February 2 but only [1]published today , the FCC said it had the authority to make AI robocalls illegal under the existing Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) passed in 1991. The declaration is in line with what FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel [2]said the Commission planned to do last week.
The TCPA, designed to limit junk calls and telemarketing abuses, already includes restrictions on the use of "artificial and prerecorded" voices. Today's declaratory ruling means the FCC considers that rule to include human voice-mimicking AI tech as well.
[3]
"The [TCPA] is the primary law we have to help limit unwanted robocalls," Rosenworcel said in a statement today. The declaratory ruling "means that AI technologies like voice cloning fall within this law's existing prohibitions and that calls that use this technology to simulate a human voice are illegal, unless callers have obtained prior express consent," Rosenworcel added.
[4]
[5]
The Commission [6]said that the ruling would give additional leeway for state attorneys general to go after AI robocall operators, who can face steep fines for violating the TCPA. Each violation of the Act (i.e., a single call) can incur a fine of [7]up to $500, which can be trebled to $1,500 if the violation is found to be willful. There's no cap on statutory damages under the TCPA, meaning fines can easily reach into the millions when illegal calls were widely made.
The FCC has been [8]investigating the proliferation of AI robocalls and texts since November, though today's ruling was likely accelerated by the New Hampshire presidential primary and [9]reports of deepfake calls using the voice of President Joe Biden to convince Democratic primary voters not to vote.
[10]Fuming Tom Hanks says he had nothing to do with that AI dental ad clone of him
[11]AI-generated phishing emails just got much more convincing
[12]FCC calls for mega $300 million fine for massive US robocall campaign
[13]Researchers confirm what we already knew: Google results really are getting worse
The source of the New Hampshire robocalls has since been [14]identified as Texas-based Life Corporation, which [15]provides polling and robocalling services for a variety of political causes on both sides of the aisle.
According to the New Hampshire attorney general's office, which has issued a cease and desist order to Life Corporation, the firm's telecom provider suspended its services when made aware of the investigation. The New Hampshire AG believes somewhere between 5,000 and 25,000 calls were made during the AI Biden call campaign.
[16]
Biden, who wasn't on the ballot due to a disagreement with local Democrats regarding scheduling, still handily won the state after a write-in campaign.
"Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters," said Rosenworcel. "We're putting the fraudsters behind these robocalls on notice." ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-confirms-tcpa-applies-ai-technologies-generate-human-voices
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/02/fcc_ai_robocall/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZcVdGRh0vpRzNWX4mDSOzwAAAU0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZcVdGRh0vpRzNWX4mDSOzwAAAU0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZcVdGRh0vpRzNWX4mDSOzwAAAU0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-makes-ai-generated-voices-robocalls-illegal
[7] https://www.dnc.com/news/what-are-penalties-associated-tcpa-violations
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/16/us_fcc_ai/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/23/robocaller_biden_new_hampshire/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/02/tom_hanks_ai_advert/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/11/gpt3_phishing_emails/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/22/fcc_robocalls_fine/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/17/google_search_results_spam/
[14] https://www.doj.nh.gov/news/2024/20240206-voter-robocall-update.html
[15] https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/07/politics/biden-robocall-texas-strip-mall-invs/index.html#:~:text=The%20mystery%20of%20an%20AI,mall%20in%20the%20Dallas%20suburbs.
[16] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZcVdGRh0vpRzNWX4mDSOzwAAAU0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
In a unanimously-decided declaratory ruling adopted February 2 but only [1]published today , the FCC said it had the authority to make AI robocalls illegal under the existing Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) passed in 1991. The declaration is in line with what FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel [2]said the Commission planned to do last week.
The TCPA, designed to limit junk calls and telemarketing abuses, already includes restrictions on the use of "artificial and prerecorded" voices. Today's declaratory ruling means the FCC considers that rule to include human voice-mimicking AI tech as well.
[3]
"The [TCPA] is the primary law we have to help limit unwanted robocalls," Rosenworcel said in a statement today. The declaratory ruling "means that AI technologies like voice cloning fall within this law's existing prohibitions and that calls that use this technology to simulate a human voice are illegal, unless callers have obtained prior express consent," Rosenworcel added.
[4]
[5]
The Commission [6]said that the ruling would give additional leeway for state attorneys general to go after AI robocall operators, who can face steep fines for violating the TCPA. Each violation of the Act (i.e., a single call) can incur a fine of [7]up to $500, which can be trebled to $1,500 if the violation is found to be willful. There's no cap on statutory damages under the TCPA, meaning fines can easily reach into the millions when illegal calls were widely made.
The FCC has been [8]investigating the proliferation of AI robocalls and texts since November, though today's ruling was likely accelerated by the New Hampshire presidential primary and [9]reports of deepfake calls using the voice of President Joe Biden to convince Democratic primary voters not to vote.
[10]Fuming Tom Hanks says he had nothing to do with that AI dental ad clone of him
[11]AI-generated phishing emails just got much more convincing
[12]FCC calls for mega $300 million fine for massive US robocall campaign
[13]Researchers confirm what we already knew: Google results really are getting worse
The source of the New Hampshire robocalls has since been [14]identified as Texas-based Life Corporation, which [15]provides polling and robocalling services for a variety of political causes on both sides of the aisle.
According to the New Hampshire attorney general's office, which has issued a cease and desist order to Life Corporation, the firm's telecom provider suspended its services when made aware of the investigation. The New Hampshire AG believes somewhere between 5,000 and 25,000 calls were made during the AI Biden call campaign.
[16]
Biden, who wasn't on the ballot due to a disagreement with local Democrats regarding scheduling, still handily won the state after a write-in campaign.
"Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters," said Rosenworcel. "We're putting the fraudsters behind these robocalls on notice." ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-confirms-tcpa-applies-ai-technologies-generate-human-voices
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/02/fcc_ai_robocall/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZcVdGRh0vpRzNWX4mDSOzwAAAU0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZcVdGRh0vpRzNWX4mDSOzwAAAU0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZcVdGRh0vpRzNWX4mDSOzwAAAU0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-makes-ai-generated-voices-robocalls-illegal
[7] https://www.dnc.com/news/what-are-penalties-associated-tcpa-violations
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/16/us_fcc_ai/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/23/robocaller_biden_new_hampshire/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/02/tom_hanks_ai_advert/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/11/gpt3_phishing_emails/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/22/fcc_robocalls_fine/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/17/google_search_results_spam/
[14] https://www.doj.nh.gov/news/2024/20240206-voter-robocall-update.html
[15] https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/07/politics/biden-robocall-texas-strip-mall-invs/index.html#:~:text=The%20mystery%20of%20an%20AI,mall%20in%20the%20Dallas%20suburbs.
[16] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZcVdGRh0vpRzNWX4mDSOzwAAAU0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: A global solution
Version 1.0
I've been getting AI-generated voice robocalls for a while, asking me if they can talk to me about my health requirements, I assume that their action is to use AI to transfer my vocal response to text, "Tank U eye am two fun king healthy, mine aim is dick, bud eye am not floppy"
Re: A global solution
Throatwarbler Mangrove
We've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty. Since we haven't been able to reach you on your phone, we're contacting you via this message board. Please respond immediately with the best time and number to contact you as your car's safety may be at risk.
Re: A global solution
CountCadaver
Who? What you saying lad? You're calling about who? What's one o them then? Nah I mean a car, what's a car?
(Usually by then they have given up and hung up, likely convinced the person who picked up is very much not of sound mind or is immensely hard of hearing and thus will tie up too much scamming time (it helps that I'm told I sound ancient on the phone - one tradesman said he thought I'd be about 80 odd)
Stop Haley's comet
Anonymous Coward
Maybe the FCC can stop Nikki Haley from non-stop texting barrage. Fortunately, the state of Nevada launched its own anti Nikki spam bot called "None of the above"
Filippo
In order to stop spam calls, the legislation needs to be something enforceable . Right now, we're barely one step beyond saying "please don't do it". Not even a big step.
Force carriers to deploy technical solutions. It's the only way.
CountCadaver
Atacms strike perhaps?
A global solution
Since this law will apply throughout all 50 states that the FCC has jurisdiction and since telephone calls from outside the states are impossible this will finally solve the problem of robocalls