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Before recording a meeting, especially if using a meeting bot, it's important to get consent. This builds trust between participants and the bot, and is also the ethical thing to do. Depending on where you are, is may also be a legal requirement to ask everyone for permission first. Here are five options to build in recording consent into your meeting bot:
1. Play audio to announce the meeting is being recorded
Adding a simple audio message when the bot joins the meeting is a common way to request recording consent. If you want to be extra careful, you should make the bot announce it is recording every time a new participant joins the meeting. This way latecomers will still be notified. The audio message usually goes something like this: "This meeting is being recorded for quality assurance and training purposes.” This method is helpful to notify participants who are visually impaired, however it may not work with those that have hearing difficulties.
2. Send a message in the meeting chat
Another way to request recording consent is to make the bot post a message in the meeting chat notifying participants that the meeting will be recorded. This message should also provide instructions on what to do if the participants do not want to be recorded. This can be a simple message that says something like, “This meeting is being recorded. If you do not consent to being recorded, please let us know.” This is helpful for participants who have hearing difficulties, but may not work for those that are visually impaired. Combining this method with the previous one is a more inclusive way to collect recording consent.
Example: Read.ai
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3. Make the meeting bot display an image announcing it is recording
We can also add an image to the meeting bot to show that it's recording the meeting. This reminds attendees that the bot is recording their words and actions, and lets them know that the bot is in use. The image can be customized to fit the company's branding and can say something like "Recording in Progress" or "Meeting in Session". This is a good option for people who think that audio announcements are too disruptive.
Example: Grain.com
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4. Send an email to all participants ahead of the meeting
Sending an email to all participants ahead of the meeting is another way to notify everyone that the meeting will be recorded. The email should also provide detailed information on how to give or withdraw recording consent. In the email, you can provide a link for participants to click and indicate their consent or non-consent to being recorded. This will help you keep track of who has provided consent and who has not. This method is different from the previous ones because it occurs 24 hours in advance, before the actual meeting starts. Another benefit of having an email be sent is it can also used as a distribution channel for your product.
Example: Fireflies
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5. Have the meeting link redirect to a custom landing page
Consider having the meeting link you put in the calendar invite redirect first to a custom landing page that tells the participants that the meeting will be recorded, and to only enter if they consent. This page should also provide information on how to withdraw their consent. This method is effective for capturing explicit consent, compared to the previous methods which are more effective at notifying the user when they are actually in the meeting.
Example: Gong
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These five options are great ways to add recording consent into your meeting bot to build trust and comply with legal requirements. If you need a faster solution with built-in meeting consent features and have limited development capacity, consider checking out Recall.ai, the API for meeting bots that work on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and more.