A Texas telecom giant has been slapped with a hefty $1 million fine. Here’s why:
A Texas-based telecommunications company, Lingo Telecom, has been fined $1 million by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) due to its involvement in an illegal deepfake scam featuring President Joe Biden.
In the latest crypto news, this scam involved AI-generated robocalls mimicking Biden’s voice, aimed at discouraging voters in the New Hampshire primary election.
The FCC emphasized that this fine is more than just a punishment—it’s a move to hold telecom companies accountable for the content they transmit. Along with the fine, Lingo Telecom is required to adopt a “historic compliance plan” that includes strict adherence to FCC caller ID authentication rules.
Moreover, the company must also implement “Know Your Customer” and “Know Your Upstream Provider” guidelines to ensure that all call traffic is properly monitored and authenticated.
Political consultant Steve Kramer orchestrated the robocalls in an attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire primary. Using AI to replicate Biden’s voice, the calls aimed to manipulate and intimidate voters, threatening the integrity of the democratic process.
In crypto news today, Steve Kramer was indicted on May 23 for his role in this scheme, specifically for impersonating a candidate during the primary while working for rival candidate Dean Phillips.
The use of deepfake technology in this scam is particularly alarming as it represents a dangerous escalation in the fight against disinformation. Deepfakes, which use AI to create highly realistic but fraudulent recordings, pose a significant risk to the democratic process.
