Pindrop Security, Inc. makes software that lets businesses analyze the voices of their customers, as a means of customer authentication and determining whether their statements are true. The complaint alleges that this violates the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), a part of the California Penal Code.
The class for this action is all residents of California whose voiceprints were recorded or examined by Pindrop to determine whether their statements were true or false.
Pindrop software uses audio, voice, and artificial intelligence technology to record and analyze voices. Businesses can install it for their call centers, where the complaint claims it first uses voice recognition software to take a biometric voice print for a caller. The complaint alleges, “Pindrop then uses its artificial intelligence software to analyze the callers’ voice prints to determine the truth or falsity of their statements made during the phone call.”
The complaint claims that callers are not aware they are interacting with, giving voiceprints to, or being recorded by a third party, Pindrop. Pindrop does not ask for the callers’ consent to before it records and analyzes their voices, the complaint alleges.
The complaint quotes one of the provisions of CIPA as forbidding any person or entity from employing “any system which examines or records in any manner voice prints or other voice stress patterns of another person to determine the truth or falsity of statements made by such other person without his or her express written consent given in advance of the examination or recordation.”
According to the complaint, Bank of the West uses Pindrop’s system. The complaint quotes the bank’s website as touting the use of Voice ID as a “security feature” to verify identity: “Similar to a fingerprint, your voiceprint is unique to you and created from more than 100 different physical and behavioral characteristics such as pitch, accent, the shape of your mouth, and the vocal tract.”
The complaint quotes Pindrop as saying that “uses the full audio of a call to determine its true characteristics” and analyzes “unique acoustic and behavioral features” of customer voices.
But it doesn’t end there. The complaint alleges, “Worst of all, Pindrop itself surreptitiously creates and stores a voice print from the callers’ voice[s] without their knowledge or consent. Pindrop’s software seamlessly incorporates into its customers’ call centers without clear notice (or any at all) that Pindrop is even involved in the call.” The complaint therefore alleges that Pindrop does not respect the protected privacy rights of its customers under California law.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Privacy
Most Recent Case Event
Pindrop Security Voice Analysis CIPA California Complaint
September 29, 2022
Pindrop Security, Inc. makes software that lets businesses analyze the voices of their customers, as a means of customer authentication and determining whether their statements are true. The complaint alleges that this violates the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), a part of the California Penal Code.
Pindrop Security Voice Analysis CIPA California ComplaintCase Event History
Pindrop Security Voice Analysis CIPA California Complaint
September 29, 2022
Pindrop Security, Inc. makes software that lets businesses analyze the voices of their customers, as a means of customer authentication and determining whether their statements are true. The complaint alleges that this violates the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), a part of the California Penal Code.
Pindrop Security Voice Analysis CIPA California Complaint