FTC Government and Business Impersonation Rule — AI-Impersonation Enforcement
United States · 16 C.F.R. Part 461; 89 Fed. Reg. 15017
The FTC's Impersonation Rule lets the agency directly sue scammers who pretend to be a government agency or a real business — including those who use AI-cloned voices or generated images to do so. Civil penalties can reach $53,088 per violation. The FTC also issued a supplemental notice in February 2024 proposing to extend the rule to all individual impersonation.
Technical detail
16 C.F.R. Part 461 (Trade Reg. Rule on Impersonation of Government and Businesses), 89 Fed. Reg. 15017 (Mar. 1, 2024), eff. Apr. 1, 2024. Authorizes federal-court actions for civil penalties and redress. Feb. 15, 2024 supplemental NPRM proposes Rule on Impersonation of Individuals — explicitly justified by AI deepfake fraud against private individuals.
Who is protected: Consumers receiving AI-impersonation calls/emails/videos; impersonated government bodies and businesses
Who must comply: Anyone in or affecting U.S. commerce who impersonates a government entity or business
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | United States |
|---|---|
| Level | Federal |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Stronger protection |
| Effective date | 2024-04-01 |
| Enacted | 2024-02-15 |
| Citation | 16 C.F.R. Part 461; 89 Fed. Reg. 15017 |
| Enforced by | Federal Trade Commission |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Civil penalties (up to $53,088 per violation in 2025), redress, injunctive relief |
| Topics | consumer protection · deepfakes |
| Last verified | 2026-06-17 |
| Official source | FTC Announces Impersonation Rule Goes Into Effect ↗ |
More AI rules in United States
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- Chatrie v. United States (Fourth Amendment protection for lo · Blocked / in litigation
- Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act) (H.R. 7757) · Proposed / pending
- NAIC AI Evaluation Tool Pilot (12 states, 2026) · Proposed / pending
- FTC Proposed Policy Statement — AI Accuracy (July 2026) · Proposed / pending
Related consumer protection rules elsewhere
- Missouri AI Therapy Chatbot Ban (SB 1019) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Vermont Data Broker Law (H.211) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Arkansas Frank Broyles Act AI amendment — voice and likeness protection (2025) · In effect
- PA v. Character.AI (Fake Psychiatrist Chatbot) · Blocked / in litigation
- NAACP v. xAI (Colossus 2 Air Pollution) · Blocked / in litigation
- RI Therapy Chatbot Ban (2026) · In effect
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