Artificial Intelligence & Robotics
Walmart faces lawsuit over alleged collection of customers’ voice prints
Walmart is the subject of a class action suit by customers who claim the company illegally collected their biometric information. (Image from Shutterstock)
Walmart is being accused by a group of customers of illegally collecting their biometric information.
In a class action complaint filed in the Northern District of Illinois on Tuesday, the plaintiffs allege that whenever customers call into a Walmart customer service line, the retail giant uses artificial intelligence to create a voice print that can be used to identify them in the future. They also allege that this is done without their consent.
“Plaintiffs and other consumers who call into the Walmart customer service line are told only that ‘[t]his call and your voice may be recorded for business purposes, including fraud prevention,’” according to the complaint. “However, the recording fails to disclose what the other ‘business purposes’ for taking their voice prints are, or with whom those biometric identifiers are being shared.”
The plaintiffs note that Walmart’s privacy policy acknowledges that it collects biometric information when a customer contacts the company in accordance with applicable law. But they also contend that Walmart is violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, which was implemented to regulate the collection and use of biometrics.
Specifically, the plaintiffs allege Walmart has not properly informed customers in writing of the specific purpose of collecting and storing their biometric data; obtained a written release from customers to collect their voice prints; or obtained customers’ consent to share this information with third parties.
The plaintiffs seek statutory damages of $1,000 to $5,000 for each of Walmart’s alleged violations of the law.
Walmart did not respond to a request for comment from Courthouse News Service, which has additional coverage.
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