FCC Weighs Easing Political Robocall Rules, Including AI Voices, Before Midterms

Club for Growth is offering call limits and an opt-out in exchange for permission to make political robocalls without recipients’ prior consent. The FCC is considering the request, including calls with AI-generated voices, ahead of November’s midterms. On October 7, Commissioner Anna Gomez urged the agency to reject it, warning of misinformation. No decision has been made.

An opt-out instead of permission

The national conservative fiscal policy organization filed its petition on August 31. It asks the Federal Communications Commission to let political groups place automated calls to people who have not given prior permission. The request concerns political robocalls generally, with AI-generated voices among the calls whose restrictions would be loosened.

Club for Growth says the same person would receive no more than three calls over 30 days and would be offered an option to opt out. Those proposed conditions would limit contact and allow recipients to refuse further calls, rather than require their agreement before the first call.

Current FCC rules prohibit political robocalls to cellphones and pagers without the recipient’s prior express consent, while permitting them to landlines. The petition therefore targets an existing permission requirement, not simply the wording of a disclosure about whether a caller’s voice was generated by AI.

[If] the FCC allows a dark money group to flood Americans’ phones with AI-generated robocalls they never agreed to receive, it would bring chaos so close to Election Day

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, speaking to Reuters on October 7

A familiar voice can carry a false instruction

Gomez, the commission’s Democratic member, told the Associated Press that removing the consent requirement could increase unwanted robocalls and misinformation. Her objection addresses both the unwanted contact and the information delivered through it. AI-generated speech can sound like a real person, making impersonation easier.

The risk has an election precedent. Before the 2024 New Hampshire primary, voters received a robocall using an AI-generated version of President Joe Biden’s voice that told them not to vote. That episode involved an apparent instruction from a recognizable political figure, rather than merely an automated campaign message.

Some states have addressed synthetic campaign calls through disclosure requirements. Louisiana, Tennessee and Vermont passed laws this year requiring disclosures for AI-generated campaign phone calls. Those measures address identifying AI use; the federal petition concerns whether political groups need permission to place the calls at all.

The proceeding remains open

The FCC opened public comments on September 4. The initial comment deadline was October 5, and responses to those comments are due October 19. That leaves another scheduled stage in the proceeding before the November elections. October 19 is a response deadline, not an announced date for an FCC decision.