United States of America: Implemented FCC Declaratory Ruling Making AI-Generated Voices in Robocalls Illegal

On 8 February 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued the Declaratory Ruling that specifies the definition of "artificial" under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), including calls made with AI-generated voices. The rule takes effect on the day of the rule release, making voice cloning technology used in common robocall scams targeting consumers illegal. The rule provides State Attorneys General across the country with new tools to prosecute the perpetrators of these robocalls. The ruling expands the legal avenues through which state law enforcement agencies can hold these perpetrators accountable under the law. The TCPA is the FCC's primary tool against unwanted calls, imposing restrictions on telemarketing calls, automatic voice dialling systems, and artificial or prerecorded messages. FCC regulations require telemarketers to obtain prior express written consent from consumers before engaging in robocalls.