Otter.ai
- The policy allows AI training; it does not describe an opt-out.
- Your data is used for personalized ads, including by third-party ad companies.
- Data is shared with partners and affiliates; you can opt out.
- Staff may review your content; the policy does not describe an opt-out.
Otter records meetings, trains AI on your audio, shares for ads, and can close your account anytime.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
- Uses your content for AI training with no opt-out
Collected
Account info, meeting audio, screenshots, device IDs, location, calendars, contacts, and partner data.
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Privacy policy
“When you use the Services, you may provide us with your audio recordings (“Audio Recordings”), automatic OtterPilotTM screenshots and any text, images or videos that you upload or provide to us”
Training
They run the app, train AI on your recordings and transcripts, and use data for ads.
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Privacy policy
“Improve and monitor the Services, including training our proprietary AI technology on audio recordings and on transcriptions (which may contain Personal Information)”
Sharing
Cloud, AI, labeling, analytics, and ad partners can get data; some sharing is treated as a sale.
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Privacy policy
“We disclose Device Information, Cookies, and Location Information to Mobile advertising tracking providers, Analytics providers, Advertising Partners, and Providers of integrated third-party programs, apps, or platforms.”
Kept
They keep personal information as long as they need it for their purposes or the law.
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Privacy policy
“Otter.ai stores all Personal Information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes set out in this Policy, or for as long as we are required to do so by law or in order to comply with a regulatory obligation.”
Controls
You can request access or deletion and opt out of sale or targeted ads via a footer link.
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Privacy policy
“You can exercise these rights by clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link in the Otter website footer and following the instructions provided.”
Fine print
They can close you anytime; fees are non-refundable.
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Terms of service
“Otter.ai may, at its sole discretion, terminate these Terms or your account on the Service, or suspend or terminate your access to the Service, at any time for any reason or no reason, with or without notice.”
Expand “Read the exact line” to see the source alongside the explanation.
What you can turn off
The controls and opt-outs their own documents describe, and where they say to find them.
Opt out of sale and targeted ads
“Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link in the Otter website footer, or privacy@otter.ai, or 1-866-467-8688 code 2392#
or access of personal information
Log in and submit a support request, email privacy@otter.ai, or use their online form
Cancel a subscription before renewal
Account settings at Otter.ai, Apple App Store or Google Play settings, or support@otter.ai
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
Your meeting audio and transcripts can be used to train Otter’s AI. The policy does not give you a switch to turn that off.
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Privacy policy
“Improve and monitor the Services, including training our proprietary AI technology on audio recordings and on transcriptions (which may contain Personal Information)”
For example, a private 1:1 you recorded could be used, even after de-identifying, to improve Otter’s models.
Otter can build a voiceprint from your speech to label who is talking. The documents do not ask you to opt in first.
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Terms of service
“The Service may Process voiceprints to recognize users and automatically tag their name within the transcript.”
For example, after a few meetings your voice could be auto-tagged as you in later recordings.
Outside contractors can be given your data to label it for training and testing Otter’s features.
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Privacy policy
“Data labeling service providers who provide annotation services and use the data we share to create training and evaluation data for Otter’s product features.”
For example, a labeling vendor might listen to or read parts of a meeting to mark speakers or errors.
Ad companies can get tracking data so Otter can show you ads elsewhere.
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Privacy policy
“We also use third party advertising partners, including Facebook, to deliver ads to you on other sites.”
For example, after using Otter you might see Otter ads in Facebook based on tracking cookies.
They can shut your account without warning and without giving a reason.
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Terms of service
“Otter.ai may, at its sole discretion, terminate these Terms or your account on the Service, or suspend or terminate your access to the Service, at any time for any reason or no reason, with or without notice.”
For example, you could lose access to stored meeting notes overnight with no email first.
If someone sues Otter over your recordings or how you used the app, you may have to pay Otter’s legal costs.
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Terms of service
“you will defend and Otter.ai and its officers, directors, employees, consultants, affiliates, subsidiaries and agents (together, the “Otter.ai Entities”) from and against every claim brought by a third party”
For example, if a coworker sues because you recorded them without consent, Otter can demand you cover their lawyers.
Paid plans auto-charge and they say you do not get money back.
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Terms of service
“All fees are in U.S. Dollars and are non-refundable.”
For example, if you cancel two days after yearly renewal, they keep the full year payment.
You can tell them not to sell or share data for targeted ads using a site link or email.
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Privacy policy
“You have the right to opt out of the “sale” of your Personal Information and the processing of your Personal Information for targeted advertising.”
For example, you can click Do Not Sell in the website footer so they stop some ad sharing.
You still own your recordings and notes, though you give Otter a license to process them to run the service.
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Terms of service
“Customer retains all ownership rights to the User Content processed using the service.”
For example, your meeting file is still yours even while Otter stores and transcribes it.
They set a minimum age of 13 but rely on you saying you are old enough.
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Terms of service
“You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service.”
For example, a 12-year-old could still sign up if they check the box.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- de-identified
- Data with your name and obvious identifiers removed, though it can sometimes still be traced back to you. For example, your chats with names stripped out may still be kept and studied after you delete your account.
- personal data
- Any information that is about you or can be linked to you, from your name to your phone's ID. For example, your email, your IP address and the list of apps on your phone are all personal data.
- cookies
- Small files a website saves on your device so it can recognise you and remember what you did. For example, a cookie keeps you logged in and can also tell an ad company which sites you visited.
- third parties
- Any company or person other than you and the app, such as advertisers, partners or analytics firms. For example, an analytics company that receives a record of every screen you tap is a third party.
- retention
- How long a company keeps your data before deleting it. For example, a policy might keep your messages for 30 days after you delete them, or for as long as it likes.
- sell or share
- Under California law, selling means passing your data to others for money or other value; sharing means passing it on for targeted ads. For example, letting an ad network use your browsing history in return for ad space counts as a sale.
- biometric
- Measurements of your body that identify you, like your face, fingerprint or voice. For example, a selfie used to unlock the app or a voice recording matched to you.
- service providers
- Outside companies that handle your data on the app's instructions, such as a cloud host or an email sender. For example, the company that stores the app's files in the cloud sees your data but only does what the app tells it.
- indemnify
- You promise to pay the company's legal costs and losses if your use of the service gets it sued. For example, if you post a song you do not own and the label sues the app, you owe the app's lawyer bills.
- affiliates
- Other companies owned by or connected to the same parent company. For example, if you use one app, its sister apps under the same owner may also get your data.
- opt out
- Something is on by default and stays on until you find the setting and turn it off. For example, your chats may be used for training unless you go into settings and switch it off.
- targeted advertising
- Ads chosen for you based on what you have done across other apps and websites, not just this one. For example, you look at shoes in one app and see shoe ads in a totally different app the next day.
How we got here · grade F · score 22/100 · 15 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 1 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
Besides account and meeting content, they collect device IDs, usage, cookies, approximate location, calendar and contact data from connected apps, and demographic data from marketing partners.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
They create speaker identification and may process voiceprints, share audio with labeling and AI vendors, and train models on de-identified recordings.
Are your chats and uploads used to train AI models, and is that off by default?
They say they train proprietary AI on de-identified audio and transcripts that may still contain personal information, and they do not describe a training opt-out.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
They share data with data-labeling providers for annotation and training data, and they may monitor content, with no review opt-out described.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They use cookies and third-party ad partners including Facebook, plus mobile ad tracking, for ads on other sites.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They share device, cookie, and location data with ad and analytics partners and say that can be a sale, with a Do Not Sell opt-out.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
You keep ownership of user content and grant a worldwide sublicensable license to host, process, and distribute it in a manner under your control.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
Not stated in the documents.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
They build speaker identification from your voice. The documents do not describe viewing, editing, or turning that off.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They describe physical, admin, and technical safeguards, HTTPS, AWS hosting, and access controls, but not an independent audit of Otter itself.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
You must be at least 13 and they do not knowingly collect from children under 13. Age is self-declared.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The copies we have are not dated. They say they will post updates and you should check the page; terms say material changes may need your acceptance.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They may terminate or suspend your account at any time for any reason or no reason, with or without notice.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The service is as-is, liability is capped at 12 months of fees or $100, and you must indemnify Otter for many third-party claims including content you process.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
Subscriptions auto-renew until you cancel, and all fees are stated as non-refundable. They say they will give advance notice of fee changes.
The privacy policy is 5,413 words at a college graduate level (Flesch reading ease 30.9); the terms are 12,285 words at a professional or legal expert level.
