Current:Home > InvestJustice Department defends group’s right to sue over AI robocalls sent to New Hampshire voters -Zenith Profit Hub
Justice Department defends group’s right to sue over AI robocalls sent to New Hampshire voters
View
Date:2025-04-17 17:55:52
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The federal Justice Department is defending the legal right to challenge robocalls sent to New Hampshire voters that used artificial intelligence to mimic President Joe Biden’s voice.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke and U.S. Attorney Jane Young filed a statement of interest Thursday in the lawsuit brought by the League of Women Voters against Steve Kramer — the political consultant behind the calls — and the three companies involved in transmitting them.
Kramer, who is facing separate criminal charges related to the calls, has yet to respond to the lawsuit filed in March, but the companies filed a motion to dismiss last month. Among other arguments, they said robocalls don’t violate the section of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits attempting to or actually intimidating, threatening or coercing voters and that there is no private right of action under the law.
The Justice Department countered that the law clearly allows aggrieved individuals and organizations representing them to enforce their rights under the law. And it said the companies were incorrect in arguing that the law doesn’t apply to robocalls because they are merely “deceptive” and not intimidating, threatening or coercive.
“Robocalls in particular can violate voting rights by incentivizing voters to remain away from the polls, deceive voters into believing false information and provoke fear among the targeted individuals,” Young said in a statement. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office commends any private citizen willing to stand up against these aggressive tactics and exercise their rights to participate in the enforcement process for the Voting Rights Act.”
At issue is a message sent to thousands of New Hampshire voters on Jan. 21 that featured a voice similar to Biden’s falsely suggesting that voting in the state’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary two days later would preclude them from casting ballots in November. Kramer, who paid a magician and self-described “digital nomad” who does technology consulting $150 to create the recording, has said he orchestrated the call to publicize the potential dangers of AI and spur action from lawmakers.
He faces 26 criminal charges in New Hampshire, along with a proposed $6 million fine from the Federal Communications Commission, which has taken multiple steps in recent months to combat the growing use of AI tools in political communications.
On Thursday, it advanced a proposal that would require political advertisers to disclose their use of artificial intelligence in broadcast television and radio ads, though it is unclear whether new regulations may be in place before the November presidential election.
veryGood! (159)
Related
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- If Aridification Choked the Southwest for Thousands of Years, What Does The Future Hold?
- July Fourth hot dog eating contest men's competition won by Joey Chestnut with 62 hot dogs and buns
- These cities are having drone shows instead of fireworks displays for Fourth of July celebrations
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- What's Next for Johnny Depp: Inside His Busy Return to the Spotlight
- How Anthony Bourdain's Raw Honesty Made His Demons Part of His Appeal
- These 15 Secrets About A Walk to Remember Are Your Only Hope
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- High-Stakes Fight Over Rooftop Solar Spreads to Michigan
Ranking
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- Breaking Bad Actor Mike Batayeh Dead at 52
- Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny’s Matching Moment Is So Good
- 14-year-old boy dead, 6 wounded in mass shooting at July Fourth block party in Maryland
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- How Anthony Bourdain's Raw Honesty Made His Demons Part of His Appeal
- How Trump’s New Trade Deal Could Prolong His Pollution Legacy
- ‘This Is an Emergency’: 1 Million African Americans Live Near Oil, Gas Facilities
Recommendation
Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
Blake Shelton Finally Congratulates The Voice's Niall Horan in the Most Classic Blake Shelton Way
California Farmers Work to Create a Climate Change Buffer for Migratory Water Birds
Roller coaster riders stuck upside down for hours at Wisconsin festival
Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
Ariana Madix Reveals Where She Stands on Marriage After Tom Sandoval Affair
Chelsea Handler Has a NSFW Threesome Confession That Once Led to a Breakup
Power Plants’ Coal Ash Reports Show Toxics Leaking into Groundwater