Did John Hancock collect your voiceprint without consent?

Illinois consumers and financial advisors may qualify to take legal action if their biometric information was collected during calls.

If you called John Hancock about life insurance, long-term care insurance or annuities while living in Illinois, your voiceprint may have been collected without your consent, and you may qualify to participate in a class action investigation.

What to know about the John Hancock biometric privacy lawsuit

• Core Issue: A lawsuit alleges John Hancock collected voiceprints during certain calls without the notice and consent required by Illinois law.

• Who it Affects: The investigation focuses on Illinois consumers, financial advisors and their assistants who called John Hancock between Jan. 31, 2019, and Jan. 11, 2021, about life insurance, long-term care insurance or annuities.

• Harm/Impact: Unlike a password, a voiceprint is a unique biometric identifier that cannot be changed. Illinois law gives consumers the right to know when this type of information is being collected and how it will be used. Collecting voiceprints without proper notice and consent may violate those privacy protections.

• Legal Status: Attorneys are actively investigating claims.

• Take Action: Complete the form on this page to learn whether you may qualify for this investigation.

What is the John Hancock biometric privacy lawsuit about?

A lawsuit alleges that the voiceprints of some Illinois residents were collected during calls to John Hancock without the notice and consent required by Illinois law.

These claims argue that:

• Voiceprints were collected during certain calls to John Hancock regarding life insurance, long-term care insurance or annuities.
• Illinois callers were not provided the disclosures or written consent forms required by the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) before voice biometric information was allegedly collected.

As a result, Illinois callers may have had their biometric privacy rights violated and may be entitled to compensation.

Illinois law and your right to control your biometric data

Illinois was the first state in the nation to pass a law protecting consumers’ biometric information. Enacted in 2008, the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) gives Illinois residents certain rights before companies can collect or store biometric data.

Under BIPA, companies must:

• Tell individuals what biometric information is being collected.
• Explain why the information is being collected and how it will be used.
• Disclose how long the information will be stored.
• Obtain written consent before collecting biometric data.
• Maintain policies governing the retention and destruction of biometric information.
• Use reasonable measures to keep biometric data secure.

BIPA also restricts companies from selling or profiting from biometric information. In most cases, companies cannot share biometric data without a person’s consent.

The privacy lawsuit investigation alleges that these protections were not provided before voiceprints were collected during certain calls to John Hancock.

Case updates

Legal status as of June 2026

• Attorneys are actively investigating claims.

This page was last reviewed and updated in June 2026 to reflect the latest case developments.

How unauthorized voiceprint collection can cause harm

Voiceprints are unique biometric identifiers. Unlike a password or PIN, a voiceprint is tied to you and cannot be changed.

Potential concerns associated with the unauthorized collection of biometric information include:

• Loss of Privacy: Consumers may lose control over how their biometric information is collected, stored and used.
• Future Misuse: As voice recognition and artificial intelligence technologies continue to evolve, consumers may be concerned about how biometric information could be used in the future, including for identity theft, financial fraud and more.

Because biometric information is unique and cannot easily be replaced, Illinois lawmakers enacted BIPA to give residents greater control over how that information is collected and used.

Understanding Amazon Connect and how Amazon was involved

Many people who called John Hancock about their insurance products likely did not realize Amazon technology may have been involved in handling those calls.

Amazon Connect is a customer service platform provided by Amazon Web Services. Companies can use this technology to manage customer calls while continuing to interact with customers under their own brand names.

As a result, callers may have believed they were communicating only with John Hancock, even if Amazon technology was being used behind the scenes to help process those calls.

This privacy lawsuit alleges that Amazon Connect was used to collect voiceprints during certain calls with Illinois residents. Because Amazon’s role may not have been apparent to callers, the lawsuit raises questions about whether consumers were adequately informed about who was collecting their biometric information and how it was being collected and processed.

Amazon’s involvement in biometric privacy lawsuits is not limited to this case. Amazon and Amazon Web Services have previously faced lawsuits alleging violations of Illinois’ BIPA, including claims involving Amazon Connect and Alexa voice technology.

Fill out the form on this page to see if you qualify for a free case evaluation.