Otter.ai Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Unauthorized Recordings

Otter.ai, a Mountain View-based AI transcription company, is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging it secretly records private conversations without permission to train its AI. The lawsuit claims Otter.ai's Otter Notebook service, used for transcribing Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings, defaults to recording without consent, violating privacy and wiretap laws. Plaintiff Justin Brewer alleges severe privacy invasion. Otter.ai defends its practices by stating it de-identifies data, but the lawsuit questions the effectiveness of this process, citing a lack of transparency. This raises serious concerns about privacy in AI-powered transcription services, particularly regarding data used for AI training.