Firm That Sent Fake AI Robocalls Of Joe Biden Is To Pay $1m Fine

A voice service provider has reached a settlement with the Federal Communications Commission over fake AI robocalls pretending to be Joe Biden.

Lingo Telecom had agreed Wednesday to pay a $1 million fine as part of a settlement agreement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which had reportedly initially sought a $2 million fine.

It was back in January 2024 when New Hampshire authorities began investigating fake robocalls pretending to originate from US President Joe Biden, in an apparent effort to employ artificial intelligence (AI) to disrupt the state’s Tuesday primary elections.

Lingo Telecom fine

The calls use a voice resembling Biden’s and were suspected to be artificially generated. The message urged voters to “save their vote” for the November election and not vote in the primary.

The personal mobile phone number of a prominent Democrat, which is Joe Biden’s party, appeared as the caller identification.

Former state Democratic chairwoman Kathy Sullivan, to whom the phone number belonged, had filed a formal complaint about the robocalls.

The case was viewed by many as an alarming example of how AI might be used to influence groups of voters and democracy as a whole, and US authorities were quick to react.

“The Federal Communications Commission today announced a settlement to resolve its enforcement action against Lingo Telecom, a voice service provider that transmitted spoofed robocalls that used generative AI voice cloning technology to spread disinformation in connection with a presidential primary election in New Hampshire,” said the FCC. “The calls were directed by a political consultant named Steve Kramer in an attempt to interfere in the 2024 New Hampshire primary election.”

The FCC said Lingo Telecom will “pay a $1 million civil penalty and implement a historic compliance plan – the first of its kind secured by the FCC.”

In addition to the $1 million civil penalty, Lingo Telecom has agreed to comply with FCC’s strict caller ID authentication rules and to more thoroughly verify the accuracy of the information provided by its customers.

“Every one of us deserves to know that the voice on the line is exactly who they claim to be,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “If AI is being used, that should be made clear to any consumer, citizen, and voter who encounters it. The FCC will act when trust in our communications networks is on the line.”

“Whether at the hands of domestic operatives seeking political advantage or sophisticated foreign adversaries conducting malign influence or election interference activities, the potential combination of the misuse of generative AI voice-cloning technology and caller ID spoofing over the U.S. communications network presents a significant threat,” said Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal.

“This settlement sends a strong message that communications service providers are the first line of defense against these threats and will be held accountable to ensure they do their part to protect the American public,” said Egal.

Steve Kramer

But this is not the end of the case, as the FCC also issued a separate enforcement action in May against a political consultant named Steve Kramer for initiating the robocalls using caller ID spoofing to facilitate the misuse of the deepfake, AI-generated voice cloning technology.

The FCC said that Kramer was indicted in New Hampshire on state charges of felony voter suppression and misdemeanor impersonation of a candidate. The New Hampshire Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General is handling that case.

Meanwhile the Associated Press reported that Steve Kramer is facing a proposed $6 million FCC fine as well as state criminal charges.

Kramer reportedly paid a self-described “digital nomad” to create the recording, and he told The Associated Press earlier this year that he wasn’t trying to influence the outcome of the primary, but he rather wanted to highlight the potential dangers of AI and spur lawmakers into action.

If found guilty, Kramer could face a prison sentence of up to seven years on a charge of voter suppression and a sentence of up to one year on a charge of impersonating a candidate.