Federal Communications Commission Announces Notice of Inquiry Regarding Robocalls
Summary
On November 15, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a new Notice of Inquiry (NOI) seeking comments on AI’s ability to halt the increase of unwanted and illegal robocalls and robotexts. As part of its efforts to protect consumers from unwanted calls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the FCC seeks feedback on how AI could, among other things, be used to: • Protect consumers through more precise automated messages from legitimate callers. • Analyze and block scam and other unwanted calls. • Detect unwanted or fraudulent traffic before it reaches consumers. • Assist callers with ensuring compliance. • Improve accessibility of calls for persons with disabilities. The NOI also seeks feedback on AI risks, such as its use in illegal, fraudulent or otherwise unwanted calls, and whether AI could make consumers more susceptible to fraudulent calls. Beyond information gathering, the NOI further requests comments on steps that the FCC should take on AI, with particular focus on voice cloning and whether consumers should be notified when interacting with AI. The NOI was adopted on November 15, 2023. Comments are due December 18, 2023, and reply comments are due by January 16, 2024. Following the NOI, the FCC may issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) or conclude the NOI.
