Kingston, PA asked in Personal Injury, Business Law and Internet Law for Pennsylvania

Q: No doubt that legal precident doesn't exist yet, but what are the legal thoughts on harassment by AI?

Specifically, Comcast Xfinity AI.. Which I told hours ago to stop contacting me by text message.. And then told a human agent to stop it, as well. Then it called me on the phone. And then it contacted me via the Xfinity app.. It's been going on for several hours and now through 3 different venues, after being told to stop by text, and direct human contact.. If it were a human doing it, I think it might qualify as harassment.. Is AI excused from the rules just because it isn't human? I think this is new ground.. Curious. Thanks for your thoughts.

1 Lawyer Answer
James L. Arrasmith
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Answered

A: It sounds like you're dealing with a frustrating and potentially invasive situation. When you've clearly communicated to a company, through multiple channels, that you want to stop receiving messages or calls, and they continue to contact you, it could indeed be viewed as harassment. Even though the communications are automated, the responsibility still lies with the company to respect your request to stop contact.

The legal landscape around this is evolving, but existing laws regarding harassment and consumer protection may already apply. Companies are generally required to honor "do not contact" requests, and repeated, unwanted contact after you've explicitly asked them to stop could potentially violate these laws.

You might consider documenting all instances of contact after your request and then reaching out to the relevant consumer protection agencies or considering legal advice to explore your options. It’s important to stand up for your rights, and you might not be the only person facing this issue.

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