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Amazon Alexa Biometric Data Storage Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: A consumer lodged a class action lawsuit against Amazon.
- Why: The plaintiff alleges Amazon’s Alexa secretly collects, uses, and stores its customers’ highly sensitive biometric data.
- Where: The class action lawsuit is pending in Illinois federal court.
Unbeknownst to users, Amazon uses voice recognition technology to surreptitiously collect, use and store voiceprints of its users to identify them, according to a new class action lawsuit.
Lead plaintiff Thomas Reid says he has owned an Alexa device since at least 2017. Since then, on dozens of occasions, he has communicated with the device using his voice. Each time he spoke, Reid claims Amazon collected, captured, received through trade, or otherwise obtained and disclosed his biometric identifiers, including his voiceprint and transcription.
Amazon stores the biometric information of users in its database located in the cloud but does not disclose its biometric data collection to its users, nor does it ask users to acknowledge, let alone consent to, these practices, according to the lawsuit.
“Instead of disclosing its practice of collecting biometric identifiers in the form of voiceprints, Amazon intentionally deceives users by telling them that what Amazon collects is a voice input without explaining the underlying technology and that it collects the users’ biometric data,” the class action states.
Through these practices, Reid claims Amazon not only disregards the users’ privacy rights; it also violates the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
Amazon Alexa Records Users Without Their Knowledge, Claims Class Action Lawsuit
Alexa devices are designed to record and respond to communications immediately after an individual says a wake word (usually “Alexa” or “Echo”). If the wake word is recognized, Alexa records the ensuing communication and then transmits the recording to Amazon’s servers for interpretation and processing before receiving the relevant data in response.
However, oftentimes, the Alexa device will record, monitor, or intercept communications even without the intentional use of a wake word, the class action lawsuit states, claiming reports have stated that it is extremely common for Alexa to activate, begin recording, and then upload the eavesdropped audio to the cloud even when no wake word was used.
The plaintiff wants Amazon to delete all voiceprints of Class Members and implement procedures to require consent before recording or storing biometric data. He also seeks damages, including nominal, statutory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and pre-and post-judgment interest.
A similar class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois earlier this year alleging Amazon’s Alexa devices recorded users’ conversations without their consent. The company also found itself on the receiving end of a class action lawsuit last year that alleged Amazon illegally obtained biometric identifiers for facial recognition purposes.
Are you an Amazon customer who had their biometric data collected and stored? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiff is represented by Anthony F. Fata of Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel LLP and Christian Levis, Margaret MacLean, and Amanda Fiorilla of Lowey Dannenberg, P.C.
The Amazon Biometric Data Storage Class Action Lawsuit is Reid, et al. v. Amazon Inc., et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-06010, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.
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621 thoughts onAmazon Uses Alexa to Unlawfully Collect, Store, Uses Biometric Data, Class Action Lawsuit Claims
I use Amazon and Alexa all the time. Can you please add me.
Add me! Alexa is definitely intrusive