Manulife Canada Voice Authentication FAQ’s

What is voice authentication and how is my voiceprint created?

Voice authentication uses one or more of a person’s unique behavioural characteristics to identify them.

Voice authentication is a free, optional form of authentication that uses your voice characteristics and call behaviours, to help us identify you when you call our Contact Centres. Your voiceprint is created by analyzing your voice and converting it into a binary code (0s and 1s).

How do I enrol?

Enrolment in the voice authentication program is entirely your choice, and we will only proceed after receiving your consent.

If you choose to participate, once you provide your consent, you will answer personal verification questions (PVQs), and your unique voiceprint will be created in the background. Once enrolled, we can authenticate you for the Manulife Canada products where voice authentication is available. Additional authentication questions may be required for additional protection.

How will my voiceprint be used?

Once you have enrolled in the program, your voiceprint will only be used to help confirm your identity.

We will only collect and use voiceprint information that is pertinent and consistent with the purposes of the collection.

Will voice authentication work if someone tries to impersonate me?

Your voiceprint is unique and based on many voice and other behavioural characteristics. If someone tries to impersonate your voice or has a similar voice after you have enrolled, the likelihood of them passing authentication is extremely low.

While voice authentication is very reliable, there may be times when we need to use other authentication methods—such as PVQs— when we are not fully confident about who is calling.

Will voice authentication still work if my voice sounds different, such as when I have a cold or there is background noise?

Your voiceprint is unique and based on many voice and other behavioural characteristics. Only a few characteristics are affected when you have a cold or call from a noisy environment. While voice authentication is very reliable, there may be times when we need to use other authentication methods—such as PVQs—when we are not fully confident about who is calling.

Can my caregiver or my power of attorney use voice authentication on my behalf?

Only the product or account owner can use voice authentication.

How does enrolling in voice authentication benefit me?

By using voice authentication, our goal is to offer you a higher level of protection against fraud while also making it simpler to do business with us by helping to confirm your identity securely.

How do you protect my voiceprint from unauthorized use?

Manulife has policies and controls in place to protect your voiceprint from unauthorized use. Your voiceprint is encrypted and kept in a secure database in Canada with stringent access controls.

How long is my voiceprint retained?

We will retain your voiceprint for as long as you are enrolled in voiceprint authentication, or after a period of inactivity and as required or permitted by law.

What if I do not want to use voice authentication anymore?

You can withdraw your consent to use your voiceprint at any time by contacting the Contact Centres, should you change your mind after enrolment. If you withdraw your consent from us to use your voiceprint, doing so will prevent you from using voice authentication in the future, unless you re-enrol.

If you choose to withdraw your consent for any reason, your voiceprint will be deleted, and we will use alternative methods of authentication such as asking you PVQ’s.