Home Depot class action overview:
- Who: Home Depot and Google are facing a class action lawsuit related to customer service calls.
- Why: Home Depot allegedly allowed a Google artificial intelligence program to access and record calls without customer consent.
- Where: The class action was filed in federal court in California.
A class action lawsuit claims retail giant Home Depot allowed a Google artificial intelligence (AI) program to record Home Depot customer calls without consent.
The Google Cloud Contact Center AI allegedly began accessing Home Depot customer calls in 2021 in violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA).
“The California Invasion of Privacy Act prohibits the surreptitious third-party monitoring and recording of phone calls carried out by Home Depot and Google in this case,” the class action says. “Defendants violated CIPA each time someone called Home Depot and the contents of that call were disclosed to third-party Google without prior consent from all parties to the call.”
Home Depot allegedly never disclosed AI access to customer calls
CIPA prohibits intentionally wiretapping, attempts to learn the contents of wire communications and attempts to communicate information obtained through that wiretapping.
CIPA allows for claims of $5,000 per violation.
“Plaintiff was not aware, and had no reason to believe, that his communications were simultaneously being disclosed to a third party: Google,” the class action says. “Plaintiff was not informed at the beginning of his calls that Google would be monitoring and recording the calls.”
Plaintiff Christopher Barulich is asking for injunctive relief, $5,000 per violation and attorneys’ fees and costs.
Consumers filed several class action lawsuits in early 2023 claiming that Home Depot, Bass Pro Shops, Noom, Ring and Carnival failed to get their consent before covertly wiretapping online communications on their websites.
Have you called Home Depot customer service since 2021? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Nicholas C. Soltman of Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP and Anthony G. Simon and Jeremiah W. Nixon of The Simon Law Firm PC.
The Home Depot class action lawsuit is Barulich v. The Home Depot Inc., et al., Case No. 2:24-cv-01253, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
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285 thoughts onHome Depot class action alleges retailer allows Google to eavesdrop on customer calls
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I love shopping at HD for the holidays and always called when my orders were late
Yes I did I made purchases at Home Depot
I called them constantly when it took them 4 months to make and install my window !
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Calle HD countless of times. Add me. This has to stop
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I have called Home Depot customer service several times in the last couple of years! Both local store & main office to remedy incorrect products received or not receiving my complete order. I have always been made “whole” as a customer & am pleased with my outcomes. On the other hand, I was never informed that my conversations were being heard ” eavesdropped” in by any other than a single Home depot representative. It’s just wrong to betray your customers in such an invasion!!!
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