Federal authorities expected to announce on Wednesday that a telecom provider has agreed to pay a $1 million fine for its involvement in the deepfake robocall that mimicked the voice of President Joe Biden before the Democratic primary in New Hampshire.
This is a first-of-its-kind enforcement action against malicious deepfakes or AI-driven impersonations of others. According to federal authorities, Lingo Telecom, the voice service provider that disseminated the artificial intelligence-generated robocalls through “spoofed” phone numbers, will pay the seven-figure penalty and commit to stricter oversight protocols.
According to a statement by Jessica Rosenworcel, chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, “It is everyone’s right to know that the person on the other end of the call is who they say they are.” “Any consumer, citizen, or voter who encounters AI should be informed if it is being used.”
The robocall, which dissuaded New Hampshire voters from casting ballots in the Democratic primary in January, used an artificial intelligence (AI) voice impersonating Joe Biden.
Longtime political strategist Steve Kramer, who was then employed by a competing campaign, organized the conversation, as first reported by NBC News. Kramer claims that he staged the call to draw attention to the risk associated with deepfakes. Kramer and Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., his former employer, maintain that nobody on the campaign gave Kramer instructions or even knew what he was doing.
Kramer is also charged with 26 charges of voter intimidation and impersonating government officials in New Hampshire, in addition to a $6 million punishment from the FCC. Right now, he is free on bond.
In addition, a civil case was filed against him by the League of Women Voters. Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice supported the lawsuit.
The head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Kristen Clarke, said in a statement that “Voter intimidation can be a significant obstacle for those wishing to participate in our democracy, regardless of whether it is conducted in person or through the use of deepfake robocalls, online disinformation campaigns, or other AI-powered strategies.”
Authorities said they moved swiftly and forcefully to discourage political deepfakes, which have become widespread in some other nations since the Biden robocall was the first instance of a deepfake in national American politics.
Attorney General of New Hampshire John Formella said in a statement, “Lingo Telecom’s involvement in the spoof robocalls with AI-generated statements is being held accountable by the FCC, a clear signal that election meddling and misleading technology will not be accepted.”