Is it legal to record a meeting? The rules in the US, the UK and Europe
Updated November 3, 2026
Short answer: in most places you may record a conversation you take part in, but some places require everyone’s consent, and at work data-protection rules ask you to tell people anyway. The habit that works everywhere is simple: say you’re recording at the start, and stop if someone objects.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and details depend on your situation; if a recording really matters (a dispute, a lawsuit, HR), ask a lawyer.
United States
Federal law allows recording when one party to the conversation consents, and that party can be you. Most states follow the same rule.
About a dozen states require all parties to consent. Guides commonly list California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington, with Connecticut and Oregon applying all-party rules in some situations. If anyone on the call is in one of those states, courts often apply the stricter rule, so get everyone’s OK.
United Kingdom
Recording a call you’re part of, for your own use, is generally allowed. Sharing it, or recording on behalf of a business, brings in data-protection law (UK GDPR): people must be told and there must be a lawful reason.
Spain
Recording a conversation you take part in is lawful, even without telling the others: the Constitutional Court said so in 1984 (STC 114/1984) and courts still apply it. Recording a conversation you’re not part of is a crime (article 197 of the Criminal Code). Sharing a recording can breach the others’ privacy, and at work the GDPR applies: tell people and have a legitimate reason.
Germany and the rest of the EU
The GDPR applies across the EU whenever a recording is made for work: tell participants, keep it only as long as needed and protect it. Some countries go further. In Germany, secretly recording words spoken in a private setting is a crime (section 201 of the Criminal Code), so you need everyone’s consent.
Canada and elsewhere
Canada’s Criminal Code allows recording with one party’s consent, but privacy law still expects businesses to tell people. Rules vary a lot in Latin America, Asia and Australia (where they even differ by state), so check locally.
A phrase that works
At the start of the call:
“I’m recording so I don’t have to take notes. It stays on my computer. OK with everyone?”
If someone says no, stop the recording. In Memento that’s one click, and you can delete a meeting at any time.
How Memento helps
Memento records only what your Mac hears and keeps the audio, transcript and summary on your Mac. Nothing is uploaded to a server, which makes it easier to keep a promise like “it stays on my computer”. It doesn’t change the rules above, though: telling people is still up to you.
Free for 7 days · $9.99 once