
House Democrats propose crackdown on fake, AI-generated robocalls
CNN
US lawmakers say they’re fighting back against the rise of artificial intelligence-powered scams and fraud with new legislation to overhaul the nation’s robocall rules.
US lawmakers say they’re fighting back against the rise of artificial intelligence-powered scams and fraud with new legislation to overhaul the nation’s robocall rules. The sweeping proposal by House Democrats is a direct response to incidents including the recent deepfake impersonating President Joe Biden, which targeted thousands of New Hampshire voters, or fraudsters cloning a loved one’s voice to trick victims into believing a kidnapping has occurred. The number of robocalls placed in the US peaked at around 58.5 billion in 2019, according to estimates by YouMail, a robocall blocking service. Last year, the figure was closer to 55 billion. The new bill would vastly expand the definition of a robocall to include any call or text message that includes artificially generated or prerecorded messages, according to a summary of the legislation reviewed by CNN. And it would double the potential fines for violations of US robocall rules that involve the use of AI to impersonate people. For all robocalls, including those Americans have authorized from their bank or doctor’s office, any use of AI would have to be disclosed under the proposed law. The new restrictions would apply equally to political and non-political robocalls, said a spokesperson for Rep. Frank Pallone, the leading Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a leading sponsor of the bill, known as the Do Not Disturb Act.