The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined political consultant Steve Kramer $6 million for making illegal robocalls using a deepfake of President Joe Biden’s voice.
Kramer is a Louisiana Democratic political consultant who previously worked for Biden’s primary challenger, Representative Dean Phillips. He admitted to paying $500 to have the calls distributed.
The FCC revealed that Kramer used AI voice cloning and caller ID spoofing to impersonate Biden, urging people not to vote in the New Hampshire presidential primary.
Kramer has 30 days to pay the fine, or the case will be sent to the U.S. Department of Justice for collection.
Additionally, the New Hampshire Attorney General has charged Kramer with felony voter suppression and misdemeanor impersonation of a candidate.
To protect voters, the FCC has proposed new rules requiring political ads on radio and TV to disclose if AI technology is used.
This case is part of a broader effort by the FCC to regulate AI usage in political campaigns and telecommunications.
