Otter.ai Faces Landmark Class-Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Secret Recording and AI Training
Otter.ai Faces Landmark Class-Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Secret Recording and AI Training
A federal class-action lawsuit has been filed against Otter.ai, accusing the popular transcription service of “deceptively and surreptitiously” recording private conversations and using them without consent to train its artificial intelligence systems. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Otter.ai’s Otter Notebook service, which transcribes real-time meetings on platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, fails to adequately notify participants that their conversations are being recorded and shared for AI training.
Plaintiff Justin Brewer of San Jacinto, Calif., claims his privacy was severely invaded when he discovered a confidential conversation had been secretly recorded. The lawsuit seeks to represent other California residents whose private chats were allegedly shared unknowingly with Otter.ai, violating state and federal privacy and wiretap laws. While Otter.ai’s privacy policy mentions explicit permission for AI training, the lawsuit contends many users are still being misled.
This legal challenge comes amidst growing privacy concerns surrounding Otter.ai, which boasts 25 million users and over a billion processed meetings since 2016. Previous incidents, including an AI researcher’s confidential meeting details being transcribed and shared, and concerns from journalists about data sharing with third parties, have highlighted the potential risks. The lawsuit specifically criticizes Otter’s alleged practice of joining meetings and recording without affirmative consent from all participants, even when the host is an Otter account holder. Doubts are also raised about the effectiveness of Otter’s “de-identification” process, with the suit arguing it may not sufficiently protect confidential information or speaker anonymity.
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