Otter.ai Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Covert Recording of Virtual Meetings

A federal class-action lawsuit has been filed against Otter.ai, accusing the Mountain View-based tech company of secretly recording private VIRTUAL meetings without participant consent. The plaintiff, Justin Brewer of San Jacinto, California, claims the AI-powered transcription tool Otter Notebook captured a confidential conversation, resulting in a severe invasion of privacy.

The lawsuit alleges violations of state and federal privacy and wiretap laws, arguing that Otter.ai uses these recordings to train its AI systems for financial gain. Users report confidential information being captured and shared, raising significant workplace and security concerns. While Otter.ai claims data is anonymized, the lawsuit questions the effectiveness of these measures in protecting privacy.

Otter Notebook provides real-time transcriptions for Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings but allegedly fails to request permission from all participants or notify them of recording. This case highlights growing tensions between AI innovation and user privacy rights.