McDonald's sued for "secret" voice recognition drive-thru system

McDonald's was accused of using voice recognition to identify customers in Chicago, USA, without their consent , rais ing questions about it's approach to customer privacy. What happened The fast food company was sued (pdf) by customer Shannon Carpenter for secretly using a voice recognition system when taking his drive-through order. The class-action lawsuit claims McDonald's is using the technology to identify repeat customers at sites across Chicago, and that it is connecting personal voice data with car license plate numbers so that customers can be more easily recognised whichever restaurant they visit. Why it happened McDonald's implemented the system to improve order accuracy and efficiency at drive-thrus. However, the company allegedly failed to: Notify customers about the collection of voiceprint biometrics Obtain explicit consent for data collection Provide information on data storage and deletion practices These omissions potentially violated BIPA, which requires companies to inform customers and obtain consent before collecting biometric data. What it means The lawsuit raised questions about McDonald's approach to customer privacy and was seen to highlight the growing tension between advancing AI technologies and privacy. Illinois residents who used McDonald's AI-powered drive-thrus may be eligible for damages up to USD 5,000 per violation.

Date it happened

2021-01-01

Organisation involved

McDonald's

Product, system or model

Automated Order Taker

This is a record of what was reported, not a finding that anyone broke the law. If it names your organisation and you believe it is wrong, the corrections process is free and open to everyone.