Recording laws

Your responsibility

The short version

Each place gets one of three marks. They answer one question: may you record a call you take part in without the others agreeing? Recording for work, and sharing a recording, have rules of their own in most places.

• Your OK is enough

  You may record a call you take part in without asking. Telling people is still the decent thing, and often required for work.

• Everyone must agree

  Recording without the others' consent can be a crime or give them a claim against you, even when you are on the call.

• It depends

  The answer turns on the kind of call, the region or what you do with the recording. Read the entry.

Asking everyone at the start, and recording only after a clear yes, works in every place on this page.

Europe

There is no single European rule: whether a participant may record is national law, and it splits. What the EU countries, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein share is privacy law. A recording of someone's voice is personal data, so as soon as you record for work, the GDPR applies: have a good reason, tell people at the start, use the recording only for that reason and keep it only as long as you need it. Only purely personal use falls outside it, and that is read narrowly.

1. 

   Austria

   Everyone must agree

   Recording a call you take part in is not a crime, but the Supreme Court treats a secret recording of your own conversation, phone calls included, as unlawful under civil law. The other person can make you stop and delete it.

   For work: The GDPR applies, as described under Europe.

   Sharing: Giving the recording to someone else or publishing it without the speaker's consent is a crime.

   Sources: StGB § 120 (RIS), Supreme Court, RS0031784 (RIS).

2. 

   Belgium

   Your OK is enough

   Recording a communication you do not take part in, without everyone's consent, is a crime. A participant is outside that offence. The new Criminal Code, in force since September 1, 2026, keeps this rule.

   For work: The data protection authority says an organization must tell its staff, and tell the other people on the call before recording, why it records and how long it keeps the recording.

   Sharing: Using a lawful recording to defraud or harm someone is a crime.

   Sources: New Criminal Code art. 342 and 344 (Chamber text), Data protection authority on work calls.

3. 

   Czech Republic

   It depends

   Civil law says no one may record a person's private life without their consent, unless the recording is made to exercise or protect rights. How that applies to an ordinary call is not settled, so ask first.

   For work: The GDPR applies, as described under Europe.

   Sources: Civil Code §§ 86 and 88 (e-Sbírka).

4. 

   Denmark

   Your OK is enough

   Secretly recording a conversation is a crime only when you are not taking part in it.

   For work: The data protection authority says a company generally needs the caller's active consent, must say why it records and must set a deletion period. Silence is not consent.

   Sharing: Passing on private information about someone without a right to do so is a separate crime.

   Sources: Straffeloven § 263 (Retsinformation), Datatilsynet on recording calls.

5. 

   Finland

   Your OK is enough

   Eavesdropping covers only speech that is not meant for you, so you may generally record a call you take part in.

   For work: The GDPR applies, as described under Europe.

   Sharing: Spreading private information about someone in a way likely to harm them is a crime.

   Sources: Rikoslaki chapters 24 and 38 (Finlex).

6. 

   France

   Everyone must agree

   Recording words spoken in private or in confidence without the speaker's consent is a crime, and a participant can commit it. The top court let one participant off because the talk was purely about work; do not count on that. Recording openly, where people know and could say no, is treated as consent.

   For work: The data protection authority (CNIL) says an organization must tell each caller, at the time of the call, that it records, who will hear it and that they may object. Recording every sales call by default has been fined as excessive.

   Sharing: Keeping, sharing or using such a recording is a crime too.

   Sources: Code pénal art. 226-1 (Légifrance), Cour de cassation, 12 April 2023, 22-83.581, CNIL on informing callers.

7. 

   Germany

   Everyone must agree

   Recording someone's privately spoken words without their permission is a crime, even when you take part in the call.

   For work: The GDPR applies, as described under Europe.

   Sharing: Using or passing on such a recording is a crime too.

   Sources: StGB § 201 (Gesetze im Internet).

8. 

   Ireland

   Your OK is enough

   Recording a call is not unlawful interception when the caller or the person called agrees, so a participant may generally record. The law was written for phone calls; a new law is planned.

   For work: The GDPR applies, as described under Europe.

   Sources: Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, s. 98, S.I. 336/2011, reg. 5.

9. 

   Italy

   Your OK is enough

   Secretly listening in on calls between other people is a crime, but a recording made by a participant is not an interception. The courts treat it as a document you may keep and use as evidence.

   For work: The GDPR applies, as described under Europe.

   Sharing: Spreading a secret recording of a conversation you took part in to harm someone's reputation is a crime. The data protection authority limits sharing to what defending a right needs.

   Sources: Codice penale art. 617 and 617-septies (Normattiva), Garante, decision of 27 November 2025.

10. 

    Netherlands

    Your OK is enough

    Secretly recording a conversation is a crime only for someone who does not take part in it, so you may record a call you are on.

    For work: The data protection authority says an employer may record calls only when necessary, must tell staff, and must tell the person on the other end before the call is recorded.

    Sharing: Recording without telling people is not unlawful by itself, but what you do with it can be, for example publishing it.

    Sources: Criminal Code art. 139a to 139c (wetten.overheid.nl), Data protection authority on monitoring calls.

11. 

    Norway

    Your OK is enough

    Secretly recording a conversation between other people is a crime. You may record one you take part in, but you must be there yourself.

    For work: The data protection authority's main rule is to ask for consent and inform people before you record. An employer needs very strong grounds to record its staff.

    Sources: Straffeloven § 205 (Lovdata), Datatilsynet on sound recordings.

12. 

    Poland

    Your OK is enough

    Using a recording device is a crime only to get information you are not entitled to, which a participant normally is.

    For work: The GDPR applies, as described under Europe.

    Sharing: Sharing a recording can still breach the other person's personal rights under civil law.

    Sources: Kodeks karny art. 267 (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1342).

13. 

    Portugal

    Everyone must agree

    Recording words not meant for the public without consent is a crime, even when the words were said to you.

    For work: The GDPR applies, as described under Europe.

    Sharing: Using such a recording is a crime too, even one that was made lawfully.

    Sources: Código Penal art. 199 (PGD Lisboa).

14. 

    Spain

    Your OK is enough

    The Constitutional Court has held that someone taking part in a call does not breach its secrecy by recording it.

    For work: The GDPR applies, as described under Europe.

    Sharing: What you do with the recording afterwards is a separate question and can breach other rights.

    Sources: Constitutional Court, STC 114/1984.

15. 

    Sweden

    Your OK is enough

    Secretly recording a conversation is the crime of unlawful eavesdropping only when you are not taking part in it.

    For work: The GDPR applies, as described under Europe.

    Sources: Brottsbalken 4 kap. 9 a § (Riksdagen).

16. 

    Switzerland

    Everyone must agree

    Recording a private conversation you take part in without the other participants' consent is a crime.

    A narrow exception lets a participant record calls about orders, bookings and similar business, to use only as evidence.

    Sources: StGB Art. 179ter and 179quinquies (Fedlex), FDPIC on recording conversations.

17. 

    United Kingdom

    Your OK is enough

    Interception means making a call's content available to someone who is not on it, so recording a call you take part in is generally not interception.

    For work: The UK GDPR applies once there is any link to work. The ICO says organizations that record calls must tell people they are recording and why.

    Sources: Investigatory Powers Act 2016, s. 4, ICO on monitoring calls at work.

The Americas

In the United States the answer changes at the state line, and several states require everyone's consent. Canada, Mexico and Brazil let a participant record, but privacy law still asks businesses to tell people.

1. 

   Brazil

   Your OK is enough

   A participant may generally record a conversation without the others knowing, and the Supreme Court accepts such recordings as evidence, with an exception for election cases.

   For work: The data protection law (LGPD) applies: a business needs a lawful basis and must be open about why it records.

   Sources: Lei 9.296/1996 (Planalto), Supreme Court, Tema 237, LGPD (Planalto).

2. 

   Canada

   Your OK is enough

   The Criminal Code allows recording a call with the consent of someone on it, so a participant may record. That reading is the accepted one, not a ruling on every case.

   For work: The privacy commissioner says organizations must say they are recording, say why, and get consent. Staying on the call after that notice usually counts as consent.

   Sources: Criminal Code s. 184 (Justice Laws), Office of the Privacy Commissioner on recording calls.

3. 

   Mexico

   Your OK is enough

   The secrecy of private communications binds only outsiders, so a participant may record.

   Sharing: Disclosing what was said can still breach the other person's privacy.

   Sources: Supreme Court, jurisprudence 1a./J. 5/2013.

4. 

   United States

   It depends

   Federal law lets you record a call you take part in, unless you record to commit a crime or a tort. States can be stricter, and these are:

   • CaliforniaEveryone must agree

     Recording a confidential call or conversation needs everyone's consent, and the people recorded can sue for $5,000 per violation.

   • ConnecticutEveryone must agree

     Recording a private phone call needs everyone's consent or a clear recorded warning, or the people recorded can sue.

   • FloridaEveryone must agree

     Recording a call is lawful only when everyone on it has agreed beforehand.

   • IllinoisEveryone must agree

     Secretly recording a private conversation you take part in is a crime unless everyone agrees.

   • MarylandEveryone must agree

     You may record a call only when everyone on it has agreed beforehand.

   • MassachusettsEveryone must agree

     Secretly recording a call or conversation is a crime unless everyone has agreed.

   • MontanaEveryone must agree

     Secretly recording a conversation is a crime unless everyone on it knows.

   • New HampshireEveryone must agree

     Recording a call without everyone's consent is a crime, also for someone taking part.

   • PennsylvaniaEveryone must agree

     Recording a call is lawful only when everyone has agreed beforehand.

   • WashingtonEveryone must agree

     Recording a private call needs the consent of everyone taking part. An announcement that is itself recorded counts.

   • DelawareIt depends

     One state law lets a participant record and another requires everyone's consent, so ask everyone.

   • NevadaIt depends

     Recording a phone call needs everyone's consent. How this applies to video calls is not settled.

   • OregonIt depends

     You may record a phone call you are on, but a video conference, such as a Zoom, Teams or Meet call, counts as a conversation: everyone must be told first.

   Most other states and Washington, D.C. follow the federal rule. Michigan's courts do too, but its highest court has not decided the question. When people join from different states, a court may apply the stricter state's law.

   Sources: 18 U.S.C. 2511 (Cornell LII), California Penal Code 632, Washington RCW 9.73.030, Florida Statutes 934.03, Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings 10-402, Connecticut 52-570d, Delaware Code title 11, People v. Davis (Illinois, 2021), Commonwealth v. Hyde (Massachusetts, 2001), Commonwealth v. Byrd (Pennsylvania, 2020), State v. Clark (New Hampshire, 2024), State v. Allen (Montana, 2010), Project Veritas v. Schmidt (Oregon, 9th Cir. 2025).

Asia-Pacific

Most places here let a participant record, but Australia splits by state, and privacy law still asks businesses to tell people why they collect a recording.

1. 

   Australia

   It depends

   Federal law covers recording a call while it travels over the network; a participant recording at their own end is generally left to the states and territories, and they differ.

   For work: Organizations covered by the Privacy Act should explain, at the start of the call, why they collect the recording. Since June 2025 a person can also sue for a serious invasion of privacy.

   • Australian Capital TerritoryIt depends

     Everyone must agree, unless you reasonably need the recording to protect your lawful interests, or you record only for yourself and not to share it.

   • New South WalesIt depends

     Everyone must agree, unless you need the recording to protect your lawful interests, or you record only for yourself and not to share it.

   • Northern TerritoryYour OK is enough

     You may record a private conversation you take part in. Sharing it without everyone's consent is a separate offence.

   • QueenslandYour OK is enough

     You may record a private conversation you take part in. Sharing it without the others' consent is a separate offence.

   • South AustraliaEveryone must agree

     Everyone must agree, unless the recording is reasonably necessary to protect your lawful interests or is in the public interest.

   • TasmaniaIt depends

     Everyone must agree, unless you need the recording to protect your lawful interests, or you record only for yourself and not to share it.

   • VictoriaYour OK is enough

     You may record a private conversation you take part in. Sharing it without everyone's consent is a separate offence.

   • Western AustraliaEveryone must agree

     Everyone must agree, unless the recording is reasonably necessary to protect your lawful interests.

   Sending a recording to a cloud transcription or AI service may count as sharing it. When in doubt, ask everyone.

   Sources: Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979, Surveillance Devices Act 2007 (NSW), Surveillance Devices Act 1999 (Vic), Invasion of Privacy Act 1971 (Qld), Surveillance Devices Act 1998 (WA), Potter v The King [2026] HCA 25 (SA), Listening Devices Act 1991 (Tas), Listening Devices Act 1992 (ACT), Surveillance Devices Act 2007 (NT), OAIC, APP 5 guidelines.

2. 

   Japan

   Your OK is enough

   No criminal law is known to bar a participant from recording, and the Supreme Court has held such a recording lawful as evidence. That ruling turned on its facts, so treat this as general.

   For work: A business must tell people, or publish, why it collects personal information such as a recording.

   Sharing: Sharing a recording can still breach the other person's privacy.

   Sources: Supreme Court, July 12, 2000, Act on the Protection of Personal Information (PPC).

3. 

   New Zealand

   Your OK is enough

   A person who is a party to a private conversation or call may record it.

   For work: The Privacy Commissioner says organizations that record calls should tell the people on them.

   Sources: Crimes Act 1961, s. 216B, Privacy Commissioner on recording calls.

4. 

   South Korea

   Your OK is enough

   The ban on recording conversations covers only conversations between other people, so a participant may record. Recording a conversation you are not part of is a serious crime.

   Sources: Protection of Communications Secrets Act (law.go.kr).

Calls across borders

When people join from different places, more than one law can apply to the same call, and courts do not always agree on which one wins. A rule that lets you record where you are does not protect you from the rule where they are.

The simple answer: follow the strictest rule that applies to anyone on the call. If one person is in a place where everyone must agree, ask everyone.

How to ask

• Ask at the start. Before you get going, say you'd like to record and why. One friendly question is enough.
• Wait for a clear yes. Silence is not a yes. If someone says no or seems unsure, don't record, and stop if they change their mind later.
• Say what happens next. Tell people who will hear it, whether an AI service gets a copy, and how long you'll keep it. Delete it if they ask.
• Ask again when someone joins. A person who joins late has not agreed to anything yet.

• CasualMind if I record this for my notes? Happy to stop anytime.
• FormalBefore we start, I'd like to record this call so my notes are accurate. I'll keep it for my own use and can stop at any point. Is everyone comfortable with that?
• With an AI serviceI'd like to record this, and an AI service will transcribe it for my notes. Is that OK with everyone?

How Pinna fits

Pinna adds no bot and announces nothing to the people on the call. When others join, it asks you, not them, whether to record. With the default settings, if you don't answer within 10 seconds, it keeps recording, and it keeps the call from about 15 seconds before they first spoke. Don't Record moves what was captured to the Trash, with Undo.

If you would rather start every recording yourself, turn off Record calls automatically in Settings › Auto-record and use the menu.

Your recordings stay on your Mac. If you choose a cloud engine for transcripts or notes, or let an AI agent read a meeting, that company gets the audio or the text, so tell the people on the call. More in Privacy and Support.

Not legal advice