🚨 BREAKING: Otter.ai Faces Federal Class-Action Lawsuit
Major privacy violation allegations could affect millions of users
Published: August 15, 2025
A federal class-action lawsuit filed in California alleges that Otter.ai has been "deceptively and surreptitiously" recording private conversations without proper user consent and using those recordings to train their AI models.
By the Mac Transcription Guide Team
Mac software analysts with 8+ years testing transcription tools for legal, medical, and academic use. Personally transcribed 500+ hours across 15+ applications. Published August 15, 2025 • Updated October 22, 2025
Lawsuit Details
The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, represents approximately 25 million Otter.ai users and covers over 1 billion meetings recorded since the company's founding in 2016. According to the complaint:
- Otter.ai allegedly records conversations without adequate consent
- Private recordings are used to train AI models without user permission
- The practice violates federal and state privacy laws
- Users were not properly informed about data collection practices
Privacy Implications
⚠️ Serious Privacy Concerns
This lawsuit raises significant questions about:
- How much of users' private conversations have been stored and analyzed
- Whether sensitive business, legal, or personal information was exposed
- The security of data collected over nearly a decade
- Otter.ai's compliance with privacy regulations like CCPA and GDPR
Impact on Transcription Users
For anyone using Otter.ai for transcription services, this development is concerning:
- Existing recordings: May have been used without proper consent
- Future use: Uncertainty about data handling practices
- Legal risks: Potential exposure of confidential information
- Alternatives: Time to consider privacy-focused options
Our Updated Assessment
In light of this lawsuit, we're downgrading our Otter.ai rating from C to D. While the service offers decent transcription accuracy, the serious privacy allegations make it unsuitable for any sensitive or confidential audio.
Recommendation: For users concerned about privacy, we strongly suggest switching to offline alternatives like Scriber Pro that process all data locally on your device.
Source
This article is based on reporting from NPR: "Class-action suit claims Otter AI secretly records private work conversations" (August 15, 2025).
Privacy-First Alternatives
Scriber Pro
Offline transcription with complete privacy protection. No cloud uploads, no data sharing.
Read our Scriber Pro review: offline transcription, privacy protection, and HIPAA complianceMacWhisper
Open-source offline transcription for Mac users.