Bank criticized: Postfinance is hoarding 1.35 million sound samples

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Postfinance has 1.35 million sound samples. It uses them to identify customers. Because everyone’s voice is individual, for example speaking rate, frequency and intensity.

Postfinance isn’t the only banking institution that relies on voice recognition. Migros Bank and Bank Cler also use this technology, as Blick wrote. Still, the yellow giant is currently being criticized. On the one hand, because after the introduction in 2018, a “deactivation” was introduced at an undisclosed date, as “Le Matin Dimanche” reported.

This means that if you do not want to submit a sound sample, you must do so in writing or through the Postfinance online portal. Otherwise, you will be asked to provide voice recognition each time you call the service centre.

Data Security Concerns

Mia Gujer of the Digitale Gesellschaft organization has many concerns. “Phishing is theoretically possible, the potential for harm is quite high.”

He also criticizes that the software comes from the Israeli company Nice. “Nice has its roots in military surveillance,” Gujer says. Postal personnel are known to be tracked with this software. The company has often been in the media spotlight due to security concerns.

According to Gujer, a voice sample is like a fingerprint and provides more information than most people realize: “It makes it possible to track a person in other contexts.”

Postfinance sees no problem

Postfinance spokesperson Rinaldo Tibolla explains that he is aware of the risks. So far, there are no reports of harassment cases during sound rehearsals. All measures have been taken for this.

It is important to him that Postfinance only uses audio samples to identify customers. The content of the expressions is not used, only the features of the pronunciation are coded. There was no comment on the statements about the Israeli company.

Meanwhile, Swisscom also worked with them from 2016 to 2019. However, the cooperation was interrupted for financial reasons, not security concerns. Swisscom has now destroyed all sound samples.

Source :Blick