Skip to main content

Is Otter.ai safe to use?

Otter.ai is a legitimate company with a SOC 2 Type 2 report and AES-256 encryption for stored data. The privacy questions are about use rather than breaches: Otter's privacy policy says it trains its own AI on de-identified audio and on transcripts, and its notetaker can join meetings automatically unless you change the setting.

Facts checked on against Otter.ai's own pages (linked below). FastScribe publishes this page and is a competing product. Prices are in USD and can change.

Security Otter documents

  • SOC 2 Type 2 report.
  • Stored data is encrypted with AWS S3 server-side encryption (AES-256).
  • HIPAA: Otter says it follows HIPAA requirements; on the pricing page HIPAA compliance is an Enterprise add-on.

Does Otter train AI on your recordings?

Otter's privacy policy lists training its proprietary AI on de-identified audio recordings and on transcriptions, which it notes may contain personal information. Its security page says data is de-identified before training and that customer data is not used to train third-party AI providers' models. The policy does not describe a specific switch to opt out of training.

The auto-join notetaker

Otter Notetaker (formerly OtterPilot) can join calendar meetings automatically. Otter's help center explains how to set it to join only meetings you select. If you invite external guests, tell them a recorder is present.

In August 2025 a proposed class action (Brewer v. Otter.ai) was filed in federal court in California alleging the notetaker recorded participants without consent and used recordings for training, as reported by NPR. These are allegations; we found no ruling at the time of writing.

How to use Otter more safely

  • Switch auto-join to manual if you do not want every calendar event recorded.
  • Announce recording at the start of calls and follow your local consent rules.
  • Delete recordings you no longer need and review workspace sharing settings.

Where FastScribe fits

FastScribe does not join meetings. It transcribes recordings you upload and public YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X and Facebook links. If you need a bot that sits in live Zoom, Teams or Meet calls, a meeting assistant is the better fit.

On FastScribe free accounts, uploaded audio is kept for 12 hours and then removed; Pro accounts choose 12 hours, 3, 7 or 30 days, or until deleted. You can delete any transcription job yourself, and FastScribe does not sell personal data.

FastScribe does not publish a SOC 2 report. If your organisation requires one, choose a vendor that provides it.

Try FastScribe with a fileFastScribe pricingFull FastScribe vs Otter.ai comparison

Sources