Capital One caller sued Amazon Web Services over Amazon Connect voiceprints and call recording

What happened?

The original complaint (No. 2:23-cv-00491), filed on 31 March 2023 against Amazon.com Services LLC, said Capital One had integrated Amazon Connect Voice ID to fight banking fraud and used it to monitor the lines its customers call for support. It alleged that Voice ID "uses machine learning to analyze callers' unique voice characteristics including speech rhythm, pitch, and tone, and create a digital voiceprint for each caller", and authenticates callers passively while they speak. It claimed violations of CIPA §§631, 632 and 637.3 because no caller gave express consent, written or otherwise.[1][4]

The second amended complaint, filed on 7 September 2023, narrowed the case to two wiretapping and eavesdropping counts, under CIPA §631(a) and §632. It described Amazon Connect as "a machine-learning powered contact center service" whose features record, transcribe and analyse calls, including sentiment scoring through its Contact Lens feature. The plaintiff alleged that Amazon itself collected the content of Capital One's customer calls and could use it to improve its own machine-learning services.[2][3]

On 2 July 2024 Judge Tana Lin denied Amazon Web Services' motion to dismiss. The court accepted, at the pleading stage, the allegation that Amazon could use the recorded communications for its own purposes, so it was not merely an extension of Capital One. Bloomberg Law reported that the plaintiff had adequately pleaded that Amazon acted for its own purposes and not as a "mere tape recorder" for the bank.[3][5]

Amazon answered the complaint in August 2024, and the court set a class-certification hearing for December 2025. On 20 December 2024 the parties filed a stipulation of dismissal without prejudice, and the case was terminated on 23 December 2024. No settlement terms appear on the public docket.[4]

When did it happen?

1. Mar 31, 2023

   Proposed class action filed against Amazon in the Western District of Washington over Amazon Connect Voice ID on Capital One's support lines.[1][4]

2. Sep 7, 2023

   Second amended complaint narrows the claims to CIPA §§631(a) and 632 recording and eavesdropping.[2][4]

3. Jul 2, 2024

   Court denies Amazon Web Services' motion to dismiss the second amended complaint.[3][5]

4. Dec 20, 2024

   Parties file a stipulation of dismissal without prejudice; the case is terminated on 23 December 2024.[4]

What was the impact?

• Customers: A proposed class of California callers to Capital One's customer-support lines; no class was certified.[1][4]
• Other: No money was reported lost and no data breach was alleged. The suit sought CIPA statutory damages. None were awarded, and no settlement terms are public.[1][4]

Severity 1 of 5: Privacy allegations against the vendor only: a proposed class of California callers, no class certified and no finding. The claims survived a motion to dismiss in July 2024, but the case was dismissed without prejudice by stipulation in December 2024. No loss, data exposure or regulatory action was reported.

How did Capital One (named in the complaint, not a defendant) respond?

No public statement by Capital One or Amazon Web Services was found as of 2026-10-21 (we searched news coverage, Bloomberg Law and the CourtListener docket). In court, Amazon moved to dismiss, arguing that as Capital One's service provider it fell under CIPA's exemption for parties to the call. After that motion was denied, it answered the complaint in August 2024. Capital One was not a party and did not comment in the case.[3][4]

What was the outcome, and did regulators act?

The case ended by stipulated dismissal without prejudice in December 2024, before class certification. The July 2024 order, which held that the claims against a cloud contact-centre vendor were adequately pleaded, is the only ruling. No court found that Amazon or Capital One violated CIPA, and no regulator acted.[3][4]

1. Class Action Complaint, Gladstone v. Amazon.com Services LLC, No. 2:23-cv-00491 (W.D. Wash.) (Dkt. 1) court
   U.S. District Court, W.D. Wash. (via CourtListener RECAP) · Mar 31, 2023
   “Amazon Connect Voice ID uses machine learning to analyze callers’ unique voice characteristics including speech rhythm, pitch, and tone, and create a digital voiceprint for each caller.”
2. Second Amended Class Action Complaint, Gladstone v. Amazon Web Services, Inc. (Dkt. 18) court
   U.S. District Court, W.D. Wash. (via CourtListener RECAP) · Sep 7, 2023
   “Amazon Connect is a “machine-learning powered contact center service” for use in customer service departments, among others.”
3. Order on Motion to Dismiss, Gladstone v. Amazon Web Services, Inc. (Dkt. 44) court
   U.S. District Court, W.D. Wash. (via CourtListener RECAP) · Jul 2, 2024
   “Accordingly, Defendant’s Rule 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss Second Amended Class Action Complaint (Dkt. No. 21) is DENIED.”
4. Gladstone v. Amazon Web Services Inc, No. 2:23-cv-00491 (W.D. Wash.), docket court
   CourtListener (U.S. District Court, W.D. Wash. docket) · Dec 23, 2024
   “***Civil Case Terminated re Parties' 54 Stipulation of Dismissal, pursuant to FRCP 41(a)(1)(A)(ii).”
5. Amazon Suit Advances Over Recorded Capital One Customer Calls news
   Bloomberg Law · Jul 3, 2024
   “Amazon Web Services Inc. must face a proposed class action alleging it intercepted the communications consumers had with its client Capital One without their consent in violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act”