Bank of America Call Recording Lawsuit Reaches $1.9M Settlement

A recent Bank of America call recording lawsuit just reached a settlement deal of $1.9 million to bring allegations to an end.

The lawsuit, brought against Bank of America by five California counties, alleges that the banking giant broke California phone call recording laws. According to the Bank of America call recording lawsuit, the company took too long to inform customers on a call that it was being recorded.

Reaching a settlement means that the Bank of America call recording lawsuit did not determine liability, but it has made progress in ensuring that California call recording laws are followed.

Indeed, not only did the Bank of America call recording lawsuit lead to a substantial settlement—some of which is being paid to the Consumer Protection Prosecution Fund—but it has also forced the bank to comply with these laws going forward, setting an example for other companies like it.

“As part of the $1.9 million settlement agreement, Bank of America must comply with California’s standards for recording confidential communications between the bank and its customers by making a clear and accurate disclosure of the recording to any consumer at the beginning of the call,” said the office of Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey in a statement.

A similar call recording lawsuit was brought against another major bank, Wells Fargo, by then-Attorney General Kamala Harris just last year, which was settled for $8.5 million.

California Call Recording Laws

If your call to or from a company was recorded without first receiving your permission, the company has violated California phone recording laws, and you may be able to pursue litigation.

California phone recording laws are stricter than those at the federal level. Entities, including businesses, are not allowed to record a call without first obtaining the consent of all parties taking part in the call.

California Phone Recording Practices

It is not uncommon for businesses like Bank of America to record calls to or from their customers, often to evaluate employee performance.

In many cases, these warnings are automated, and do not actually allow time for a person to say “yes” or “no.” However, verbal acceptance is not required. Simply staying on the line after a warning has been given is enough to grant consent.

If you do not want your call to be recorded after hearing a warning, just hang up. If you do not hear a warning and believe the call was recorded, the company may have violated California phone recording regulations.

Filing a Call Recording Lawsuit

Illegal California phone recording practices have led a number of companies to court, many of which have ended in multi-million dollar settlements, such as this Bank of America call recording lawsuit.

If you are a California resident and have been subjected to illegal California phone recording by Bank of America or another business, you may be able to seek compensation by participating in a California phone recording class action lawsuit.