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, you may be legally required to inform them that the call is being recorded.
Here's what you need to know to stay compliant.
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.
🔐 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 > 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.