Robocall proposal could open floodgates before Election Day
In this photo illustration, U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seal is seen on a smartphone screen with the US flag in the background. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
A conservative group wants federal regulators to relax prohibitions on most robocalls to cellphones without the caller getting consent beforehand, a move consumer advocates fear could unleash a surge of unwanted political calls before Election Day.
Big picture view:
The Club for Growth filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission, asking the federal agency to allow political groups to use artificial or prerecorded voices for unsolicited wireless calls. The FCC advanced the request, opening it up for public comment, with a decision possible later this month.
The backstory:
The right-leaning economic policy group claims the current rules stymie free speech. It said revising the rules would help political organizations reach potential voters, including by tailoring their messages in more languages, and improve polling accuracy. The organization also stated that the waiver would bring the rules in line with the ones governing landlines, where unsolicited automated calls are allowed.
The other side:
While the petition does not ask for waivers on federal and state bans on deception and voter intimidation, critics worry about calls including misleading messages. The elections team lead at the Center for Democracy and Technology, Tim Harper, argued the waiver creates an opportunity for abuse during a time when misinformation can have the biggest impact.
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Dig deeper:
Easing robocall rules could also open the door for greater use of artificial intelligence, not only for prerecorded messages but for live conversations as well. People may have conversations without knowing an AI agent is on the line, potentially letting their data be captured or repurposed, Harper warned.
The Brennan Center for Justice Democracy Program’s senior counsel Mekela Panditharatne also cautioned that AI systems could make claims that are not true, or mislead voters with inaccurate or incomplete information.
What's next:
The public comment period will run through October 19, after which point the FCC could move forward with any change.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.