The scourge of robocalls has taken a new turn with the utilization of AI-generated voices, one of which recently mimicked President Joe Biden to mislead New Hampshire Democrats. These deceptive practices have drawn the attention of regulatory authorities, leading to a decisive legal action to protect consumers.
New FCC Ruling Against AI Voice Scams
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel recently proposed a classification for AI-generated voice calls as “artificial” within the framework of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This reclassification has led to the unanimous adoption of a Declaratory Ruling by the FCC on February 8, making these types of robocalls illegal.
Enforcement and Consumer Protection
Chairwoman Rosenworcel emphasized the misuse of AI voices for extortion, celebrity impersonation, and voter misinformation. This new ruling empowers State Attorneys General with tools to combat such frauds, safeguarding the public from deception. The TCPA also enables the FCC to levy fines, block carrier services facilitating these calls, and offers consumers and organizations the right to sue AI robocall operators.
Recent developments indicate that AI-generated and other robocalls are on the decline, contributing to a more positive landscape for phone users. The trend reflects a significant downturn in the prevalence of these nuisance calls.
A study by YouMail, the creators of a robocall-blocking app, reported a reduction in robocalls from January 2023 to January 2024. The figures saw a 5.2% decrease month-over-month and a 6.8% drop from the 2023 monthly average, indicating a potential shift towards fewer interruptions for consumers.
YouMail CEO Alex Quilici noted a downward trend in robocall volumes, suggesting a breakthrough in the battle against this persistent issue. With consistent monitoring and the enforcement of regulations, consumers might finally experience relief from robocall disturbances.
