The consumer privacy lawyers at The Lyon Firm are investigating a range of personal privacy violations involving new software that provides AI robocall and AI call monitoring services. Some new AI TCPA lawsuits have been filed on behalf of plaintiffs nationwide following privacy intrusions. Contact The Lyon Firm to learn more about AI call monitoring that may violate existing wiretapping laws.

AI Call Monitoring: Legal Risks and Compliance Considerations

Artificial intelligence is transforming how businesses interact with customers, and one of the fastest-growing applications is AI-powered call monitoring. Companies are increasingly relying on AI tools to record, transcribe, and analyze customer service calls, sales conversations, and internal communications. While these technologies can improve efficiency, compliance, and customer experience, they also raise significant legal and privacy concerns.

What Is AI Call Monitoring?

AI call monitoring involves the use of machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) to automatically review phone conversations. These systems can flag potential compliance violations, detect fraud, evaluate employee performance, and even measure customer sentiment. Unlike traditional recording systems, AI platforms often analyze calls in real-time, drawing insights from tone, keywords, and conversation patterns.

Is AI Call Monitoring Legal?

In short, yes, AI call monitoring is legal. However, companies who engage in any call monitoring are subject to some legal considerations concerning personal privacy, transparency, and prior consent.

Many telemarketing companies are now using AI software to record or monitor customer calls, which must adhere to federal and state wiretapping laws, which vary in their respective consent requirements. Federal law requires only one-party consent (one party knows and agrees to the recording), but some states, such as California (CIPA), Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington, require two-party consent, which means everyone on the call must consent to the recording or monitoring.

Key Legal Issues With AI Call Monitoring

Although businesses see great value in AI call monitoring, the practice is heavily regulated. Several legal risks arise when companies monitor and record conversations:

1. Consent and Wiretap Laws

Federal and state wiretap laws require proper consent before recording or monitoring phone calls. Under the federal Wiretap Act, at least one party must consent. However, several states—including California, Florida, Illinois, and Pennsylvania—require two-party (or all-party) consent, meaning every participant must be informed. Failing to obtain consent can lead to civil lawsuits, statutory damages, and criminal penalties.

AI adds complexity to this issue. If a business is using AI tools that not only record but analyze conversations, courts may consider whether such analysis constitutes a “second listener” requiring additional disclosures.

2. Data Privacy and Security

AI call monitoring often involves collecting sensitive personal information such as financial details, health information, or biometric data (like voiceprints). This triggers obligations under privacy laws such as:

• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) if health data is involved

Companies must ensure secure storage, limited data retention, and proper notice to consumers about how their data is used.

3. Employment Law Concerns

When employers use AI to monitor employee calls, workplace privacy rights come into play. Courts may scrutinize whether employees had a “reasonable expectation of privacy,” and whether the employer’s practices are transparent, nondiscriminatory, and compliant with state labor laws.

4. AI Bias and Discrimination

AI systems are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on. If monitoring tools are used in hiring, promotions, or performance evaluations, companies may face discrimination claims if the AI produces biased outcomes against certain groups of employees or customers.

It is important for businesses using AI-generated voices, AI recording devices or call monitoring to disclose that to the consumer, as required by regulations like the TCPA. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) classifies AI-generated voice calls as “robocalls,” requiring businesses to obtain prior express written consent before making marketing or promotional calls. TCPA laws and wiretapping laws have been cited in some AI call monitoring lawsuits, such as the following:

• Dialpad, an AI analytics software provider, is facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly recording and using customer calls to train AI models in violation of California privacy law. The class action attorneys claim the company has illegally wiretapped and recorded the private conversations of consumers who called the T-Mobile customer support line. Although the callers were informed that the calls may be recorded, they were not told their conversations would be shared with a third party.
• The Galanter v. Cresta Intelligence lawsuit alleges that the AI vendor, Cresta, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed a customer’s call without proper knowledge or consent, violating California’s CIPA law.
• The Navy Federal Credit Union Lawsuit questions the use of AI call recording technology to record and analyze phone calls without customers’ knowledge or consent.

Why Hire The Lyon Firm?

AI call monitoring lawsuits are complex, involving overlapping areas of wiretap law, data privacy, consumer rights, and employment law. The Lyon Firm has extensive experience holding corporations accountable for unlawful surveillance and privacy violations.

If you believe your conversations were improperly recorded or analyzed by AI without proper consent, you may have a claim for damages. The Lyon Firm investigates cases nationwide, representing consumers, employees, and clients whose privacy rights have been violated.

By hiring The Lyon Firm, you gain a trusted legal partner who understands emerging technologies, regulatory frameworks, and the strategies corporations use to evade liability. Our firm is dedicated to protecting individual rights, promoting transparency, and securing justice for those harmed by unlawful monitoring practices.