WashingtonCNN
—
US legislators are taking a stand against the proliferation of AI-driven scams and fraud by proposing new legislation to revamp the country’s robocall regulations.
House Democrats have put forth a comprehensive measure in response to various incidents, such as the recent deepfake of President Joe Biden that targeted thousands of voters in New Hampshire, as well as instances where fraudsters mimicked a family member’s voice to deceive individuals into believing a kidnapping had taken place.
In 2019, the volume of robocalls in the US reached an estimated 58.5 billion, as reported by YouMail, a service that blocks robocalls. This number decreased slightly to around 55 billion last year.
The proposed bill seeks to broaden the definition of a robocall to encompass any call or text message containing artificially generated or prerecorded content. Moreover, it would double the potential fines for violations of US robocall regulations involving the use of AI to impersonate individuals.
Under the new law, any utilization of AI in robocalls, even those authorized by individuals for legitimate reasons like from their bank or healthcare provider, would require disclosure.
The legislation, known as the Do Not Disturb Act and championed by Rep. Frank Pallone, endeavors to eliminate existing loopholes in current regulations that allow robocallers to evade accountability, particularly in defining what constitutes a robocall.
In a unanimous decision in 2021, the Supreme Court narrowed the definition of a robocall by strictly interpreting the language describing an autodialer in previous legislation.
Amidst a broader crackdown on robocalls by state entities and agencies like the Federal Communications Commission, efforts have been made to dismantle major illegal robocall operations, including a significant auto warranty scam call network in 2022.
While advancements in technology mandated by prior legislation have enabled authorities to better trace the origins of illicit robocalls, perpetrators are increasingly leveraging new technologies such as artificial intelligence to outsmart regulators.
The newly proposed legislation aims to equip the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission with enhanced tools to combat scammers, pursue stricter penalties, and oblige phone service providers to offer free robocall-blocking services to consumers. Additionally, it calls for the FCC to maintain a public register of the top 100 illegal robocall schemes.
Rep. Pallone emphasized the need for updated anti-robocall measures to prevent scammers from exploiting emerging loopholes as technology advances.
Joining Pallone as Democratic co-sponsors of the bill are Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Doris Matsui, Darren Soto, and Eric Sorensen, collectively pushing for stronger protections against illegal robocalls and fraudulent activities.
