JPMorgan Chase class action claims company records, examines customer voice prints

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JPMorgan Chase class action:

• Who: A Chase Bank customer sued the bank for its use of a biometric security software.
• Why: The plaintiff says the bank records and analyzes customers’ voice prints without their consent.
• Where: The JPMorgan Chase class action was filed in a California federal court.

Chase Bank uses a lie-detecting biometric security software in its call centers that violates California law, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Dana Turner filed the class action lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Microsoft Corporation and Nuance Communications Oct. 6 in a California federal court, alleging violations of the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA).

According to the lawsuit, Chase integrated Gatekeeper, a voice biometric security solution, into its call centers to detect and protect against instances of banking fraud.

Gatekeeper authenticates customers by analyzing their voices and environments as they speak on the phone with the contact center, the JPMorgan Chase class action states. For example, it recognizes speakers and their speech, pinpoints identity mismatches and flags instances in which known fraudsters may call the contact center.

However, this is done without requesting or requiring callers’ knowing cooperation, Turner says.

“Defendants never procured the express consent—written or otherwise—of any person who interacted with Chase Bank’s Contact Center, prior to recording and examining Californian’s voice prints and/or other voice stress patterns,” the JPMorgan Chase class action alleges.

JPMorgan Chase class action alleges software determines truth, falsity of caller statements

Gatekeeper records and examines customers’ voice prints and other voice stress patterns to ascertain the truth or falsity of statements that they make without their knowledge in a known privacy law violation, the lawsuit states.

“Through their use of Gatekeeper, therefore, Defendants Chase Bank and Microsoft Corporation have failed to comply with numerous provisions of the California Invasion of Privacy Act,” according to the JPMorgan Chase class action.

Turner looks to represent a class of California residents who had their voice prints or other elements of their conversations recorded by Microsoft and Nuance using Gatekeeper.

She seeks certification of the class action, damages of up to $5,000 per CIPA violation, fees, costs and a jury trial.

Meanwhile, the Charles Schwab Corporation has also been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging it illegally records and uses consumers’ biometric voice prints without their proper consent. 

What do you think of JPMorgan Chase’s use of this software? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Neal J. Deckant of Bursor & Fisher, P.A. 

The JP Morgan Chase class action lawsuit is Dana Turner v. JP Morgan Chase & Co., Case No. 4:22-cv-05827, in the U.S. District Court Northern District of California.  

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