A telecom company has paid a $1 million fine for its role in a deepfake robocall that imitated President Joe Biden’s voice ahead of the New Hampshire Democratic primary, federal authorities announced Wednesday.
Lingo Telecom, a voice service provider that distributed the artificial intelligence-generated robocalls via “spoofed” phone numbers, will pay the seven-figure fine and has agreed to stricter oversight protocols, in what federal authorities call a first-of-its-kind enforcement action against malicious deepfakes, or AI-powered impersonations of others.
“Every one of us deserves to know that the voice on the line is exactly who they say they are,” Jessica Rosenworcel, chair of the Federal Communications Commission, said in a statement. “When AI is used, that should be made clear to every consumer, citizen and voter who comes into contact with it.”
The robocall used an AI-generated imitation of Biden’s voice telling voters in New Hampshire not to vote in the Democratic primary in January.
As first reported by NBC News, the call was orchestrated by Steve Kramer, a veteran political consultant who was working for a rival campaign at the time, though Kramer says he did it as a stunt to raise awareness about the dangers of deepfakes. Kramer and his then-employer, Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., maintain that no one in the campaign directed Kramer or was even aware of his actions.
Kramer is separately facing a $6 million fine from the FCC, and 26 counts of voter intimidation and impersonating officials in New Hampshire. He is currently out on bail.
He also faces a civil lawsuit filed by the League of Women Voters, which the U.S. Justice Department supported last month.
“Voter intimidation, whether it happens in person or through deepfake robocalls, online disinformation campaigns, or other AI-driven tactics, can pose a real barrier to voters wanting to make their voices heard in our democracy,” Kristen Clarke, director of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.
Biden’s robocall was the first time a deepfake has been used in U.S. politics. Authorities said they acted quickly and aggressively to discourage political deepfakes, which have become increasingly common in some other countries.
“By holding Lingo Telecom accountable for its role in sending spoofed robocalls with AI-generated messages, the FCC is sending a strong message that election interference and deceptive technology will not be tolerated,” New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a statement.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
