Google has begun rolling out a new protection system against phone scammers who use artificial intelligence to imitate voices. The feature is already appearing in the Phone by Google app on devices running Android 12 and later, starting with Pixel smartphones.
The technology is designed to combat voice deepfakes — cases in which criminals copy the voices of relatives, acquaintances, or employees of organizations and persuade victims to transfer money or share confidential information. Scammers often use caller ID spoofing, so the screen may show the name of a real contact.
To verify that a call is authentic, the devices exchange a hidden confirmation signal. If both participants use Phone by Google, the recipient’s phone can confirm that the call really came from the intended person’s device. If such confirmation is missing, the system can additionally check whether the call was initiated by the actual owner of the number. If not, the user receives a warning about a possible scam attempt.
Protection against fake calls was the most notable new feature, reflecting the growing need for digital security amid the rapid development of speech synthesis technologies.
