Published
March 11, 2026
Updated
August 4, 2026
This proposed class action alleges Microsoft Teams created biometric voiceprints during transcribed meetings without the consent required by Illinois law; Microsoft disputes that characterization and no settlement exists.
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes unproven allegations. Microsoft has not been found liable, no class has been certified, and there is no settlement or claim form at this time. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
What Is This About?
If you have ever participated in a Microsoft Teams meeting where the transcription feature was turned on, your voice may have been turned into a biometric profile — a "voiceprint" — without your knowledge or consent.A class action lawsuit filed on February 5, 2026, alleges that Microsoft illegally collected and stored voiceprints from Teams meeting participants through its real-time transcription feature. The transcription feature, introduced in 2021, works by analyzing each speaker's voice — including pitch, tone, and timbre — to figure out who is saying what. This process, called "diarization," creates unique biometric voice profiles for each participant. The lawsuit argues this constitutes collection of biometric data under Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) — and Microsoft never told users it was happening, never explained how the data would be used or stored, and never obtained anyone's written consent.
Unlike a password, you cannot change your voiceprint once it has been captured. That is exactly why Illinois enacted BIPA in 2008 — to protect biometric data that, once compromised, cannot be undone.
Status
Motion to dismiss pending
Complaint filed February 2026
Case Number
2:26-cv-00422-JHC
Western District of Washington
Can I Claim?
No — nothing to claim
No settlement or claim form
Who Might Qualify?
The plaintiffs want to represent all individuals who participated in Microsoft Teams meetings with live transcription enabled while they resided in (or were present in) Illinois from March 1, 2021 to the present. People who voluntarily enrolled in a Microsoft Intelliframe voice profile are excluded.Microsoft Teams has over 320 million monthly active users, so the potential class could be very large. If you live or work in Illinois and have participated in any transcribed Teams meeting since 2021, you may be a potential class member.
How Much Could This Be Worth?
Under BIPA, damages are $1,000 per negligent violation or $5,000 per intentional or reckless violation (or actual damages, whichever is greater). BIPA has produced some of the largest privacy settlements in history, including a $650 million settlement against Facebook for facial recognition and a $68 million settlement against Instagram.No settlement has been reached. Microsoft later moved to dismiss, arguing that the challenged Teams transcription functions do not create legally protected voiceprints.
Microsoft is also facing a separate securities class action by investors over its AI business — see our coverage of the Microsoft Azure and Copilot shareholder class action lawsuit.
Sources
• Windows Central — Microsoft Teams Hit With Class Action for Allegedly Collecting Voice Data (Feb 2026)• UC Today — Microsoft Teams Lawsuit: BIPA Class Action Targets AI Voice Data (Feb 2026)
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Status
Active complaint; dismissal motion pending
Case Title
Basich et al. v. Microsoft Corporation
Case Number
2:26-cv-00422-JHC
Court
U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
Court Records
Federal docket summary
