With a 4-1 vote, the FCC approved a $6 million fine against a political consultant for illegal robocalls made using deepfake, AI-generated voice cloning technology and caller ID spoofing. Steve Kramer admitted he deepfaked President Joe Biden’s voice in a robocall that was sent to thousands of potential U.S. voters in January prior to the New Hampshire primary election, according to the Commission.
“In New Hampshire “potential voters received a call that urged them to sit this one out and save their vote for the general election. This was bunk,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel during the vote. “It was his voice but not his words.”
Kramer will be required to pay the fine within 30 days or the case will be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for collection. Kramer directed the calls, which were transmitted through Lingo Telecom, according to the agency. The Commission reached a settlement with Lingo Telecom last month, Inside Towers reported. The company agreed to pay a $1 million civil penalty and implement a first-of-its-kind compliance plan that the carrier implement stronger procedures to combat illegal spoofing and robocalling over its network.
FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington dissented from the action last Thursday, for reasons he said he previously stated. He opposed the original Lingo Telecom decision too, saying at the time the issue was “fundamentally it’s about FCC oversight of STIR/SHAKEN,” the FCC’s caller ID authentication rules.
Simington said in that decision the FCC has never specified formal standards for how carriers must comply with the FCC’s STIR/SHAKEN. He believes Lingo “probably complied with industry standards” and the agency was “using an enforcement mechanism to declare new standards” [and is] “engaged in a back-door rulemaking through enforcement.”
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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