Jimmy John’s Sued for Drive-Through Voiceprint Data Collection

Jimmy John’s customers have accused the Illinois-based sandwich chain of illegally collecting their “voiceprints” in its drive-throughs in a bid to boost efficiency and target marketing.

The company allegedly took recordings of customers’ voices as they ordered and extracted information about identifying qualities like pitch and volume without their consent, according to a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Central District of Illinois. The suit seeks millions of dollars in damages under a state privacy law that protects personal information drawn from physical characteristics, known as biometrics.

Illinois resident Kayla Gebhardt and five other individuals brought the suit ...