September 18, 2024
How the FCC’s New Rule on AI Robocalls Affects Your Dialing Strategies
Consumers have been fighting robocalls for more than 30 years. Their complaints finally garnered the attention of government agencies, leading to the creation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in 1991. The act placed restrictions on telemarketing, including the use of automatic dialing and prerecorded voicemail. It also required companies to maintain do-not-call lists.
History of the DNC
The problem with these initial do-not-call registries, however, was that telemarketing companies oversaw the lists. To add a name to a registry, consumers had to call the very companies making the unwanted calls. These companies didn’t exactly broadcast their contact information, and even when consumers made contact, it was up to the telemarketers to abide by the request — many didn’t — so this first effort led to little improvement.
Consumers finally found relief in 2003 when the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) decided it was time to tackle the responsibility head-on, creating the National Do Not Call (DNC) registry.
But even this relief lasted only a few years. Fast forward to today, and the world has a new opponent: artificial intelligence (AI).
As the FTC continues to combat robocalls, transparency is central to the battle. Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established a new ruling to regulate AI-generated robocalls.
FCC’s New Rules on AI Calls
Previously, the FCC considered banning AI voice cloning in robocalls. The recent ruling sets guidelines for using artificial intelligence in communications. In the new proposal, callers must disclose the use of AI at the start of a call and obtain the called party’s permission before they begin their pitch.
Keeping in mind that some artificial intelligence applications can improve communication accessibility for people with disabilities, the FCC maintained that these helpful apps are not the target.
However, certain new technologies, such as voice cloning within AI-generated calls, pose a significant threat to consumers from fraudulent actors.
Increase in Voice Cloning Scams
Cloning your voice — anyone’s voice — is now as easy as finding a website that provides this service, as discovered by a CBS News investigation in May 2024.
Sign up, pay a small fee, upload a brief clip of the voice you want to use, and, within a few moments, that voice can speak whatever words you type. CBS reported an attorney who was nearly scammed out of $9,000 after receiving a phone call from “his son” saying he’d been injured in an accident.
CNN reported the story of a mother in Arizona who received a call from her terrified “daughter,” screaming and crying, followed by the voice of a man who told the mom he’d kidnapped her daughter.
But these scams don’t just target individuals. Fraudulent actors can also impersonate businesses and the people who run them, which puts your call center at risk.
Google’s Efforts to Combat AI
As revealed at I/O 2024, Google has its own answer to the influx of AI-generated phone calls in the works: Gemini Nano. Currently only available on certain Pixel phones and Samsung’s S24 lineup, Gemini Nano runs locally and scans conversations in real time to hunt for suspicious language. If Gemini Nano suspects foul play, the consumer receives an in-call alert.
In the short term, while this is a step in the right direction, it’s not enough. Plus, consumers will have to make up their own minds about Google’s trustworthiness, given the company’s recent antitrust lawsuit.
How You Can Improve Your Dialing Strategies
Staying current with the latest dialing strategies can improve your contact center’s efficiency. Here are some ways to guarantee your dialing strategies enhance customer trust and keep your call center’s reputation spotless.
Thorough Data Hygiene
Call centers must verify that their data hygiene is thoroughly vetted. In recent rulings, some states and agencies require callers to use the Reassigned Numbers Database (RND) before placing calls. With DialRight, we can help your contact center audit your lead lists against the RND and DNC.
Dangers of inaccurate data include:
- Dirty data: Dirty data might include duplicates and incomplete, outdated, or otherwise non-compliant information.
- Less productive agents: If your call center agents use unscrubbed data, there’s no telling how much time they’ve spent calling consumers inappropriately.
Scrubbing lists against the DNC is a given, although auditing leads against the RND might not be on your radar—but it should be. In fact, states like Maine mandate it. People lose phones and phone numbers every day for various reasons. When those phone numbers are reassigned, if they’re still on your lead list, your agents may inadvertently call or text (which can be infinitely worse) someone registered with the DNC, as noted in FCC robotext regulations.
Auditing Your Caller ID
Dialing with an accurate caller ID is also critical in modern contact centers. If your calls are marked as spam, scam, or scam-likely by someone you call, it can break your caller ID reputation.
Our Device Cloud can help audit how your rich call data appears across real networks and devices.
Remediating Damaged Numbers
When someone you call flags one of your phone numbers, it can damage your company’s reputation. Instead of discarding flagged numbers, a popular practice in the past, businesses need to focus on remediating them with carriers.
Throwing away a flagged number can appear suspicious, so caller ID remediation gives you the opportunity to explain what occurred, remove unwarranted number flags, and keep your brand’s phone number. Our call remediation Managed Services can help your company remediate damaged numbers.
Maintaining Compliance in an Evolving Ecosystem
Call compliance is serious in modern dialing. Contact centers must stay on top of fast-moving law and regulation changes to remain compliant. Contact centers that use AI technology for calls must ensure they adhere to standards in line with the FCC’s new regulations. Guarantee your contact center adheres to proper dialing and data sanitization strategies so you can protect your dialing reputation.
