Verizon Voice ID: Biometric Privacy Concerns

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org believe Verizon Wireless may have violated an Illinois privacy law through its Voice ID feature, and they’re now gathering affected customers to take legal action.

Specifically, the attorneys are looking into whether Verizon illegally collected and stored customers’ unique voiceprints through its identity-verifying Voice ID program without proper notice and consent. The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) prohibits companies from collecting, storing and using consumers’ sensitive biometric data, such as voiceprints, without first obtaining consumers’ consent and providing written disclosures about how the data will be used, stored and destroyed.

The attorneys are now gathering affected Verizon customers to sign up for mass arbitration over the suspected BIPA violations.

What Is the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act?

The Illinois BIPA was enacted in 2008 to protect residents’ biometric data—such as fingerprints, voiceprints, iris and retina scans, and hand and face geometry—from unauthorized use. The law recognizes unique biometric privacy concerns, noting that biometrics are unlike other identifiers in that they cannot be changed if compromised. Thus, biometric-facilitated transactions, such as using a person’s fingerprints or voiceprint to verify their identity, present a “heightened risk” of identity theft, according to the BIPA.

Verizon Voice ID and Potential BIPA Violations

According to the attorneys, Verizon’s use of customers’ voices for its Voice ID feature raises potential biometric privacy concerns.

In fact, a lawsuit was filed against Verizon in September 2024 over alleged BIPA violations. The case claimed that the Verizon Voice ID program, which was represented as a means for customers to verify their identities using their voices when calling Verizon, illegally collected and stored customers’ voiceprints.

According to the case, at “no point during the enrollment process” for Voice ID were customers informed in writing about the collection and storage of their biometric data or the purpose or length of time for which their data would be collected and stored—and Verizon allegedly failed to obtain written releases from customers to use their biometric information.

Is This a Lawsuit? What Am I Signing Up For, Exactly?

You are not signing up for a lawsuit, but rather a process known as mass arbitration. This is a relatively new legal technique that, like a class action lawsuit, allows a large group of people to take action and seek compensation from a company over an alleged wrongdoing. Here is a quick explanation of mass arbitration from our blog:

[M]ass arbitration occurs when hundreds or thousands of consumers file individual arbitration claims against the same company over the same issue at the same time. The aim of a mass arbitration proceeding is to grant relief on a large scale (similar to a class action lawsuit) for those who sign up.”

Verizon Wireless’s customer agreement contains both a class action waiver and an arbitration clause requiring customers to resolve most disputes via arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution that takes place outside of court before a neutral arbitrator, as opposed to a judge or jury. It’s for this reason that attorneys working with ClassAction.org have decided to handle this matter as a mass arbitration rather than a class action lawsuit.

How Much Does This Cost?

It costs nothing to sign up, and you’ll only need to pay if the attorneys win money on your behalf. Their payment will come as a percentage of your award.

If they don’t win your claim, you don’t pay.

How Much Money Could I Get?

There are no guarantees as to how much money you could get or whether your claim will be successful. However, the BIPA provides that companies may be responsible for paying consumers $1,000 for negligent BIPA violations and as much as $5,000 for willful violations.

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