The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined Lingo Telecom, a voice service provider, $1 million for its role in transmitting a deepfake robocall that impersonated President Joe Biden’s voice ahead of the Democratic Party primaries.
A robocall is a phone call that uses a computerized autodialer to deliver a pre-recorded message. In this case, the message displayed on voters’ phones urged citizens to vote in the November polls, mimicking Biden’s voice.
The audio message said, “Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again. Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.”
On Wednesday, the FCC announced that Lingo Telecom agreed to pay the fine and committed to a program to verify the trustworthiness of customers who use its networks to transmit data.
Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC chairperson said, “Every one of us deserves to know that the voice on the line is exactly who they claim to be, if AI is being used, that should be made clear to any consumer, citizen, and voter who encounters it.”
ALSO READ: Implications of Biden’s Withdrawal from America’s Presidential Race
Authorities consider this fine the first-of-its-kind enforcement action against malicious deepfakes, or AI-driven impersonations of others.
“By holding Lingo Telecom accountable for its role in transmitting the spoofed robocalls carrying AI-generated messages, the FCC is sending a strong message that election interference and deceptive technology will not be tolerated,” said John Formella, New Hampshire attorney general.
The Biden robocall was the first use of a deepfake in national US politics. Authorities acted quickly and aggressively to deter further political deepfakes.