FCC weighs Club for Growth petition to allow AI political robocalls to cellphones
The FCC is considering a petition from the conservative group Club for Growth to let it make AI-voiced political calls to cellphones without prior consent. Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez urged the agency to reject it before the November midterms.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Anna Gomez, the Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission, urged the agency on Wednesday 7 October not to approve a petition from the conservative group Club for Growth to allow political AI-generated robocalls. CNAN “A Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission urged the agency on Wednesday not to approve a petition to allow political AI-generated robocalls from conservative political group Club for Growth.” Read at CNA ↗ Al JazeeraLC “has urged the federal agency not to allow robocalls generated with artificial intelligence in the lead-up to the midterm elections in early November.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Centre · 1Club for Growth asked the FCC to let it call cellphones "using an artificial or prerecorded voice - including an AI-generated voice - without obtaining prior express consent." CNAN “using an artificial or prerecorded voice - including an AI-generated voice - without obtaining prior express consent.” Read at CNA ↗ Left · 1According to Al Jazeera, the petition was filed on August 31, and the group said it would limit calls to no more than three per person over 30 days and offer an opt-out. Al JazeeraLC “The petition, filed on August 31, requested that the federal agency allow political groups to make automated phone calls to people without their prior permission.”“the same person would not receive more than three calls over the course of 30 days and would be presented with the option to opt out.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗
Centre · 1Gomez said that 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," and that consumers expect the rules not to be changed "at the 11th hour." CNAN “it would bring chaos so close to Election Day.”“not for the FCC to change them at the 11th hour to unleash a deluge of political AI slop on their phones.” Read at CNA ↗ Centre · 1Club for Growth President David McIntosh said the group wants the FCC to treat First Amendment-protected political speech the same way it treats wireless calls about package deliveries, bank accounts and doctor's appointments. CNAN “the FCC to treat First Amendment-protected political speech the same way it already treats wireless calls about package deliveries, bank accounts, and doctor's appointments.” Read at CNA ↗ Centre · 1The group argues the calls are not true robocalls because a human initiates the dial and an AI agent then handles an interview; the FCC, describing the petition, said the system uses "a perfunctory human being" only to click a send button. CNAN “The group argued it is incorrect to refer to the calls as robocalls because a human initiates the dial to a cell phone and then an AI agent handles an interview.”“uses a perfunctory human being for the sole purpose of clicking on a ‘send’ or similarly termed button” Read at CNA ↗
Centre · 1Club for Growth, which backs conservative positions on taxes, regulation and smaller government, says on its website that it plans to spend $175 million in the midterm congressional elections. CNAN “plans to spend $175 million in the midterm congressional elections, it said on its website.” Read at CNA ↗ Centre · 1Public interest groups including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Consumer Federation of America, Common Cause and Public Citizen urged the FCC on Monday not to grant the petition. CNAN “groups including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Consumer Federation of America, Common Cause and Public Citizen.” Read at CNA ↗ Mixed · 2The FCC has not decided; the two outlets describe the schedule slightly differently, with CNA saying comments are being considered until October 19, and Al Jazeera saying comments closed Monday with responses due October 19. A spokesman for FCC Chair Brendan Carr declined immediate comment. CNAN “The FCC is considering comments on the petition until October 19. A spokesman for FCC Chair Brendan Carr declined immediate comment.” Read at CNA ↗ Al JazeeraLC “Responses to those comments are due October 19, and the FCC has yet to decide whether it will approve the request.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗
Left · 1Al Jazeera adds that the FCC bans such calls to cellphones without consent, though landlines are exempt, and that in February 2024 the agency declared AI-generated voices in robocalls illegal. Al JazeeraLC “The FCC prohibits such calls to cellphones and pagers without the called party’s prior express consent, but they are permitted to landlines.”“this action now makes the act of using AI to generate the voice in these robocalls itself illegal.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Left · 1Al Jazeera cites the 2024 New Hampshire primary, when voters got a robocall with an AI-generated Joe Biden voice telling them not to vote; consultant Steve Kramer was blamed by the FCC and later acquitted of voter suppression charges. Al JazeeraLC “The FCC said that political consultant Steve Kramer, who was working for long-shot primary challenger Dean Phillips, was responsible and could face $6m in fines. He was later acquitted of voter suppression charges.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Left · 1It also notes that Louisiana, Tennessee and Vermont passed laws this year requiring disclosure of AI-generated campaign calls, and cites a Reuters/Ipsos poll in which 57 percent of registered voters said the Trump administration has not taken AI risks seriously enough. Al JazeeraLC “Louisiana, Tennessee and Vermont passed laws this year requiring disclosures for AI-generated campaign phone calls.”“57 percent of registered voters said that the administration of US President Donald Trump has not taken the risks of AI seriously enough” Read at Al Jazeera ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Frames the story around misinformation risk, led by the Democratic commissioner's warning and tied to past AI election abuses and broader concern about AI oversight.
- Emphasis
- The 2024 Biden deepfake call, state disclosure laws, polling on AI risk and criticism of the White House voluntary AI pact.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not quote Club for Growth's First Amendment argument or its claim that a human initiates the calls; no public interest group objections.
- Charged language
- “misinformation risks”“dark money group”
- For example
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“The concern with the use of AI is that it can sound like a real person and make it easier to impersonate someone.” — Al Jazeera
“Concerns about AI robocalls underscore broader concerns about AI in the run-up to the midterm elections.” — Al Jazeera
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Reuters-style straight report led by Gomez's objection, giving Club for Growth's own arguments and quotes alongside opposition from public interest groups.
- Emphasis
- The petition's wording, McIntosh's First Amendment argument, the $175 million spending plan and the FCC's description of the process.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives no background on the 2024 Biden robocall, the 2024 FCC AI ruling or state laws, and does not mention the calling limits Club for Growth offered.
- Charged language
- “dark money group”“political AI slop”
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat, urged the FCC on 7 October to reject Club for Growth's petition.
- Club for Growth wants to make AI-voiced political calls to cellphones without prior express consent.
- The FCC has not yet decided and October 19 is a key date in the comment process.
- Gomez warned the calls would bring chaos close to Election Day.
Where accounts differ
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Comment schedule
- Left
- Al Jazeera says the comment deadline was Monday, with responses due October 19.
- Centre
- CNA says the FCC is considering comments until October 19.
-
Whether the calls are 'robocalls'
- Left
- Al Jazeera calls them AI-generated robocalls and does not report the group's argument.
- Centre
- CNA reports Club for Growth says a human initiates each dial, so they are not robocalls, while the FCC described the human as 'perfunctory'.
Club for Growth organisation
Wants AI-voiced political calls to cellphones treated like other permitted wireless calls, as First Amendment-protected speech, and says the calls are not robocalls because a human initiates the dial.
“the FCC to treat First Amendment-protected political speech the same way it already treats wireless calls about package deliveries, bank accounts, and doctor's appointments.” — CNA
Federal Communications Commission organisation
Has not decided on the petition and is taking comments; it described the system as using a 'perfunctory human being' to click send. Chair Brendan Carr's spokesman declined immediate comment, and Commissioner Gomez opposes the petition.
“A spokesman for FCC Chair Brendan Carr declined immediate comment.” — CNA
“the FCC has yet to decide whether it will approve the request.” — Al Jazeera
Left1 article
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Democratic FCC member warns of AI robocall misinformation risks in US
Mixed Leads with the Democratic commissioner's warning and adds context on AI election misinformation and weak AI oversight.
Centre2 articles
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CNAN ·
Conservative anti-tax group seeks FCC approval for AI robocalls ahead of US midterms
Neutral Straight news report presenting Gomez's objection, Club for Growth's defence and public interest group opposition.
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CNAN ·
US agency considers allowing new AI political robocalls before election
Neutral Shorter version of the same wire-style report on the Gomez objection to the petition.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 7 Oct 16:07 First CNAN US agency considers allowing new AI political robocalls before election
- 7 Oct 16:07 First CNAN Conservative anti-tax group seeks FCC approval for AI robocalls ahead of US midterms
- 7 Oct 21:14 +5h 7m Al JazeeraLC Democratic FCC member warns of AI robocall misinformation risks in US
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.