FCC fines political consultant $6 million for AI-generated Biden robocalls
The Federal Communications Commission fined political consultant Steve Kramer $6 million for sending AI-generated robocalls that mimicked President Biden's voice to discourage New Hampshire voters from participating in the 2024 Democratic primary. The FCC found that Kramer violated caller ID rules, and he faces criminal charges for voter suppression and candidate impersonation.
What happened
Political consultant Steve Kramer sent AI-generated robocalls mimicking President Joe Biden's voice to voters in New Hampshire's Rockingham, Belknap, Grafton and Merrimack counties in January 2024, urging them not to vote in the Democratic primary.
Kramer told media outlets he paid $500 to have the calls sent to raise attention to the danger of artificial intelligence in campaigns. Lingo Telecom transmitted the calls.
Reported impact
The FCC said the technology can illegally interfere with elections by unlawfully appropriating the likeness of someone known to voters.
Index analysis
The calls used AI-generated deepfake audio to clone Biden's voice and violate FCC rules prohibiting transmission of inaccurate caller ID information.
Governance controls
The FCC Enforcement Bureau, Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force, and New Hampshire Department of Justice conducted a months-long investigation. Kramer faces 13 felony counts of voter suppression and 13 misdemeanor counts of impersonating a candidate in New Hampshire.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.