Walmart Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Voiceprint Collection Without Consent
Walmart is facing a proposed class action lawsuit in Illinois, where two residents allege that the company has been secretly collecting biometric data through its customer service calls. The lawsuit claims that Walmart's AI-powered phone system captures voiceprints by analyzing pitch, cadence, tone, and vocal frequency without obtaining the necessary consent as required by Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The plaintiffs, Carol Krupke and Jeanne Thomas, argue that Walmart's privacy policy does not adequately disclose this practice, which they claim is a violation of BIPA. The lawsuit highlights the potential risks associated with biometric data collection, as voiceprints, unlike passwords, cannot be changed or reset if compromised. 
