Beside lets you automatically record and transcribe your calls so you can keep track of important details.
However, depending on where you and your caller are located, there may be legal requirements around notifying the other party.
Here's what you need to know to stay compliant.
🇺🇸 United States: one-party vs. all-party consent
1️⃣ Federal law (U.S.): one-party consent
Under U.S. federal law, only one participant in the conversation needs to consent to the recording.
This means:
If you're part of the conversation: You can record or transcribe the call without informing the other parties.
If you're not part of the conversation: You must obtain consent from at least one person on the call before recording.
2️⃣ State laws (U.S.): one-party vs. all-party consent
State laws vary and fall into two main categories:
🔹One-party consent states (38 states + Washington, D.C.)
Requirements: Only one party in the conversation needs to consent to the recording or transcription.
Implication: If you are part of the conversation, you do not need to inform the other parties. If you are part of the call, no additional notice is required.
🔹 Two-party (all-party) consent States (13 states)
States included: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
Requirements: All parties involved in the conversation must consent to the recording or transcription.
Implication: You must inform and obtain consent from everyone participating in the call before recording or transcribing.
3️⃣ Calls across different states: Best practices for compliance
If you and your caller may be in different states, or you’re unsure:
Assume all-party consent applies: to ensure compliance across all jurisdictions, it's safest to inform all parties at the beginning of the call that it will be recorded or transcribed.
Inform callers at the start of the call that you’re recording or transcribing.
Obtain explicit consent (verbal or written), especially if you handle sensitive or business-critical conversations.
🇨🇦 Canada: federal + provincial rules
Call-recording rules in Canada are slightly more nuanced than in the U.S.
1️⃣ If you’re recording as a private individual: one-party consent
If you’re calling as a person (not a business):
👉 You can record the call if you are one of the participants.
You do not need to inform the other person.
This rule comes from the Criminal Code of Canada, which allows one-party consent.
2️⃣ If you’re recording as a business: You must inform the caller
If you’re calling as part of your business, work, or commercial activity, the rules are different.
👉 You must tell the caller that the call is being recorded
👉 You must explain why (ex: accuracy, notes, follow-up)
👉 If they stay on the line after the notice → that counts as consent
This applies across most of Canada because businesses must follow PIPEDA (the federal privacy law for organizations).
You don’t need the caller to verbally say “I agree.”
Just notifying them clearly is enough.
3️⃣ Provincial differences
Most provinces follow the same pattern:
Individuals → one-party consent is fine
Businesses → must notify the caller
Quebec has extra privacy expectations (Law 25), but the rule stays the same: 👉 businesses must tell callers the call is being recorded + explain the purpose.
🌟 Best practice: Always notify callers when recording if you are conducting business in Canada.
🔐 How Beside helps you stay compliant
Enable automatic consent message
Beside can automatically play a brief message letting callers know the call may be recorded.
You can enable this in your mobile: Settings > Your Inbox > Phone: recording Consent.
Disable recording anytime
If you prefer:
You can turn off recording in real time during a call.
Or set certain contacts to never be recorded automatically.
✅ TL;DR
To stay compliant across everywhere, we recommend:
informing callers that the call may be recorded or transcribed - especially if you're unsure where they're located.
You can do this verbally or by enabling Beside’s automatic recording consent message.
ℹ️ You can also disable call recording either in real time during a call, or set it up in advance for specific contacts if you'd prefer those calls to never be recorded automatically.