April 16, 2025

QUIET Act Proposed to Bolster TRACED Act to Combat AI Robocalls

As the fight against phone fraud continues, Congressman Eric Sorensen is reintroducing a bipartisan bill that could combat AI robocalls and voice scams. The Quashing Unwanted and Interruptive Electronic Telecommunications (QUIET) Act, which builds on the TRACED Act, would require robocallers to disclose when they use artificial intelligence and increase penalties for scammers who operate this technology to impersonate individuals.

What is the TRACED Act?

The TRACED Act, which went into law in 2019, gives the FCC more powers to crack down on illegal robocalls and other unwanted solicitations. Among other things, it allows the agency to go after robocallers without warning, increases penalties for those who break the law, and demands companies adopt the STIR/SHAKEN protocol to prevent spoofed calls.

The TRACED Act also requires the FCC to protect consumers from “one-ring” scams, in which fraudsters trick people into calling back a number that charges them for the call.

Another facet of the TRACED Act is the traceback protocol, which identifies the origin of suspected unlawful robocalls through telecom networks. USTelecom’s Industry Traceback Group oversees this process.

QUIET Act Targets AI Impersonation Scams

Since the TRACED Act went into effect, illegal robocallers have found new ways to target consumers, including using AI to impersonate individuals.

The QUIET Act will expand upon the TRACED Act to include AI, with increased penalties for violators who use this technology to defraud, cause harm, or obtain anything of value.

Congressman Sorensen says:

“The last thing our seniors and working families need is to be bombarded with attacks from scam callers using new technologies to impersonate their loved ones, their bank, or the government. This bill puts real penalties in place to stop scammers from using AI and reduces the frustrating scam calls that unfairly target seniors and vulnerable communities.”

House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone supports the proposed legislation, saying it could finally end “this outrageous abuse.”

AI impersonation scams are an increasing problem, with 31% of American consumers reporting encounters with these types of calls. Many people who fall victim to one of these scams lose money, with the average reported loss being $539.

Government and Business Impersonation Rule

There are other efforts to fight AI impersonation scams. The FTC enacted a new rule in April 2024 that makes impersonating someone from a government agency or business illegal.

The FTC already has a lot of experience with this scam, with fraudsters often impersonating the agency’s employees to trick consumers into handing over money. Other agencies are in the same boat. In 2023, the FBI received over 14,000 complaints about scammers impersonating government workers, leading to financial losses of nearly $400 million.

The government and business impersonation rule enables the FTC to file federal court cases against scammers who impersonate government agencies and businesses. The agency can then issue civil penalties to those who violate the rules and recover money for victims.

Further Telecom Efforts to Combat Robocalls

Another way to overcome robocalls is through audio fingerprinting, which uses algorithms to analyze and summarize the voices and noises in phone calls. If calls have the same audio fingerprint, it could be because scammers are using pre-recorded scripts to trick consumers. Telecom providers could then warn call recipients with a “scam likely” label, preventing them from picking up the phone.

Other ways to analyze audio data and stop robocalls include:

Natural language processing

Natural language processing, or NLP, understands and interprets human language in an audio message to see whether it came from a robocaller. This can help telecom providers prevent scams.

Spectrogram analysis

This analysis involves visually representing a call signal’s loudness or strength at different frequencies in a particular waveform on a spectrogram. As a result, providers can identify pre-recorded audio files used for robocalls.

Voice print analysis

Voice print analysis, or VPA, reproduces human sound waves on a graph through electrical impulses. This enables providers to compare recorded voice samples and determine whether a robocall is legitimate or not.

How to Take Control of Your Reputation When Calling Customers

Illegal robocalls have been an issue for decades. However, breakthroughs in AI technology have made it easier for fraudsters to impersonate individuals over the phone, with more people falling victim to this type of scam. The QUIET ACT would require robocallers to declare when they use AI to reach consumers and increase penalties for those who pretend to be who they’re not.

With increased scrutiny and legislation, calling customers as part of your legitimate marketing efforts is more difficult than ever before. That’s why it’s important to identify flagged caller IDs from telecom providers and monitor your phone numbers with Caller ID Reputation. Get started today.