You are responsible for complying with local recording laws. This guide helps you configure Allo’s compliance features, but does not constitute legal advice. Consult legal counsel for your specific situation.
Allo gives you four tools to stay compliant with recording laws. Mix and match based on your needs.
Consent Message
Privacy Mode
Transcription Control
AI Provider Choice
Inbound consent message
An automated message plays before the call connects: “This call is recorded for quality and training purposes.”Who it’s for: Teams receiving inbound calls that need to notify callers.How it works:
- Message plays automatically before the phone rings
- Caller hears it before anyone picks up
- Customizable text
- Set up per phone number or org-wide
Enable consent message
The inbound consent message can’t be self-served from your account — our support team sets it up for you.Choose scope
Tell us whether to enable it per phone number or org-wide
Customize text (optional)
Share any custom wording and support will configure it for you
Confirm activation
Support will confirm once enabled. Changes take effect immediately.
Privacy mode
Disables audio recording storage. Transcription and AI summaries still work normally. The audio file is never saved.Who it’s for: Teams doing outbound calls to dual-consent states (like California) who want transcripts and AI summaries without storing audio. This is what most outbound sales teams need.What you keep:
- Full transcription
- AI-generated summaries
- CRM sync (transcript + summary)
- Call metadata (duration, time, outcome)
What’s removed:
- Audio recording file (never stored)
- Playback in Allo app
- Audio link in email notifications
Enable privacy mode
Choose scope
Privacy mode can be set per line, per user, or org-wide
Confirm activation
Support will confirm once enabled. Changes take effect immediately.
Privacy mode is ideal for outbound sales teams. You still get transcripts pushed to your CRM (Attio, HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.) — just no audio file.
Transcription control
Disable transcription entirely. Only AI summaries are generated from the live conversation — no verbatim transcript is stored.Who it’s for: Maximum data minimization. Useful when you need call intelligence but want to avoid storing word-for-word conversation records.What you keep:
- AI-generated summaries
- Call metadata
- CRM sync (summary only)
What’s removed:
- Full transcript
- Searchable call text
- Speaker-attributed text
Enable transcription control
Contact Allo support to disable transcription per line or org-wide. Audio recording behavior is controlled separately.AI provider choice
Switch from the default AI provider to Mistral, a European AI company, for data processing.Who it’s for: Businesses with data sovereignty requirements. Keeps AI processing within a European provider.What changes:
- AI summaries generated by Mistral
- Transcription processing by European infrastructure
What stays the same:
- Feature quality and speed
- CRM sync behavior
- All other Allo features
Switch AI provider
Contact Allo support to switch to Mistral. Available on all plans.
US recording laws
Federal law (one-party consent) allows recording if one party consents. But when calls cross state lines, the stricter state’s law applies. For outbound sales teams calling all 50 states, this matters.
All-party (dual) consent states — 13 states
These states require all parties to consent before recording:All other states follow one-party consent (federal baseline). Recommendation for outbound sales teams
If your team calls all 50 US states:
- Enable consent message for all inbound calls — covers you everywhere
- Enable privacy mode for outbound calls — no audio stored, transcripts + AI summaries still sync to your CRM
- Train your team to verbally disclose recording at the start of outbound calls to dual-consent states
This gives you the best of both worlds: full AI intelligence for sales coaching, zero audio liability. Coming soon: state-level automatic compliance
Allo is building area-code-based compliance rules. This will let you automatically apply different recording settings based on the state you’re calling.Example: Calls to California numbers automatically use privacy mode, while calls to Texas numbers record normally.This feature is on the roadmap. Contact support for updates or to join the early access list.
EU & international
Recording requires a legal basis — typically consent or legitimate interest.Key requirements:
- Inform callers before recording starts
- Document your legal basis
- Provide access to recordings on request
- Honor deletion requests (right to erasure) — GDPR recommends 30 days
- Data processing agreement (DPA) available from Allo
France (CNIL):
- CNIL enforces strict consent rules
- Consent must be freely given, specific, and informed
- Recordings used for training must be anonymized or consented to separately
- Allo’s Mistral AI option keeps processing with a European provider
Visit our Trust Center
Federal PIPEDA follows one-party consent for calls. But provincial laws add requirements:
- Quebec — Stricter privacy law (Law 25). Consent required for recording.
- British Columbia & Alberta — PIPA applies. Similar to PIPEDA but with provincial enforcement.
Recommendation: Enable consent message for all Canadian inbound calls.
Recording laws vary widely. For country-specific guidance:
- Check local telecommunications authority rules
- Consult legal counsel in target markets
- Contact Allo support for configuration help
Allo supports numbers in 50+ countries. We can configure compliance settings per number.
AI & transcription compliance
Real-time transcription and AI analysis receive the same legal treatment as call recording. The same consent that covers recording also covers transcription.
Key considerations:
- BIPA (Illinois) — Speaker identification (voiceprints) may qualify as biometric data under BIPA. If you handle calls with Illinois residents, consult legal counsel about biometric consent.
- AI disclosure laws — California (AB 2013) and Texas require disclosure when AI is used to analyze calls. Your consent message should mention AI analysis.
- AI-generated summaries — Treated as derived data. Same retention and access rules apply as for recordings.
Data retention
Default: Recordings and transcripts are kept indefinitely in your Allo account.
Custom retention: Contact Allo support to set auto-deletion after a specific number of days.
Regulatory benchmarks:
Need a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement? We sign one with healthcare businesses, as a paid add-on on the Business and Ultra plans. HIPAA and BAA.
FAQ
Can I keep transcripts but delete recordings?
Yes. Enable Privacy Mode — audio is never stored, but transcription and AI summaries work normally. Transcripts sync to your CRM as usual.
Can I set compliance rules per state or area code?
Not yet. This feature is on the roadmap. For now, contact support to configure privacy mode per line or user. Do I need consent even in one-party states?
Legally, no (if you’re the consenting party). But best practice: always disclose. Interstate calls default to the stricter state’s law. A blanket consent policy protects you everywhere.
Does the consent message play for every call?
Only for numbers where it’s enabled. Support can enable it per number or org-wide.
Is AI transcription covered by recording consent?
Yes. Courts treat real-time transcription the same as recording. One consent disclosure covers both.
Can callers opt out of recording mid-call?
Not yet via an automated mechanism. Agents can manually note opt-outs. Contact support for custom workflows.
Encrypted at rest and in transit on Allo’s secure infrastructure. SOC 2 compliant. Visit our Trust Center for details.
We sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with healthcare businesses. It is a paid add-on on the Business and Ultra plans.HIPAA and BAA → Can I auto-delete recordings after X days?
Yes. Contact support to configure custom retention periods. Common settings: 30 days (GDPR), 90 days, or 1 year.
Need help?
Call recordings
Recording features, transcripts, and AI summaries
Contact support
Get help configuring compliance settings