Telecom will pay $1 million over deepfake Joe Biden robocall

A telecom company that transmitted the deepfake robocall of President Joe Biden's voice has agreed to pay $1 million to resolve an enforcement action from the Federal Communications Commission, the agency announced.

Lingo Telecom relayed a fake Biden message to New Hampshire voters in January, urging them not to turn out for the Democratic primary. The FCC identified political consultant Steve Kramer as the person behind the generative AI calls and previously proposed Kramer pay a separate $6 million fine.

Under the new settlement with Lingo, the FCC said the company will need to strictly adhere to its caller ID authentication rules, including "know your customer" principles. The FCC will also require Lingo to "more thoroughly verify the accuracy of the information provided by its customers and upstream providers," according to a press release. A Lingo spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Every one of us deserves to know that the voice on the line is exactly who they claim to be," FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. "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."

In February, the FCC adopted a ban on AI-generated voices in robocalls without recipients' consent, shortly after the New Hampshire deepfake call was reported. It also recently proposed requirements for political advertisers to disclose the use of generative AI on radio and TV.