A recorded phone call can be personal data
When TeleTalker answers or places a call, it captures a person's voice, what they say, their phone number, and often their name, appointment details, or account information. In most legal systems, that combination is personal data, and recording it is processing of that data.
Processing personal data carries three baseline obligations that run through everything else in this guide:
- Transparency — people must be told the nature, purpose, and extent of what you're doing before it happens. In plain terms: that they're speaking with an AI, that the call is recorded, and why.
- Lawful basis — you need a legitimate reason to record and process (consent, a contract you're fulfilling, or a legitimate business interest, depending on your jurisdiction).
- Data rights — people can ask what you hold about them, ask for a copy, and ask you to delete it. You have to be able to honor that.
Tell people it's an AI, tell them it's recorded, have a reason to record, keep the data only as long as you need it, and be ready to hand it over or delete it on request. The rest of this guide shows how TeleTalker helps you do each of those.
Start every call with a clear spoken notice
The single most effective compliance step is an automatic voice prompt at the start of every call that tells the caller they've reached an AI and that the call may be recorded. It satisfies AI-disclosure and recording-notice duties in one sentence, in the moment it matters, before any personal data is exchanged.
Set this as your agent's default opening line. TeleTalker plays it automatically on inbound answer and at the start of outbound calls:
It names the AI ("handled by an AI assistant"), discloses recording ("may be recorded"), states a purpose ("for service quality"), and stays warm and short so it doesn't feel like a legal warning. Adapt the purpose to match what's true for you — if you record for training, say training.
Localize the greeting
Because TeleTalker answers in 30+ languages, the greeting should play in the language the agent will speak. Keep a translated version of the same sentence for each language you serve, and make sure the disclosure and recording notice survive translation — don't drop them to save words.
Never let an agent begin taking bookings or answering questions before the notice has played. If you shorten the greeting for style, the AI-disclosure and recording clause are the two parts that must stay.
People have a right to know they're talking to a machine
A voice this natural is exactly why disclosure matters. When callers can't tell they're speaking to software, letting them assume they've reached a human is deceptive, and in a growing number of places it's unlawful. Disclose clearly and early.
- Say it up front — the opening greeting is the right place. Don't wait for the caller to ask.
- Don't impersonate a specific person — give the assistant a role ("the booking assistant for Bella's Salon"), not a fake human identity designed to mislead.
- Handle the "are you a robot?" question honestly — configure the agent to confirm it's an AI assistant if asked, never to deny it.
- Offer a path to a human — for anything sensitive, uncertain, or emotionally charged, the agent should be able to hand off or take a message for a person to follow up.
In your agent instructions, add a boundary such as: "If the caller asks whether you are a human or an AI, clearly confirm you are an AI assistant. Never claim to be a person."
Recording & consent
TeleTalker records calls and stores audio, and the transcripts generated from those calls may also be processed by ElevenLabs. Callers need to know recording is happening, and in some places you need their agreement to it. The spoken notice covers the "knowing"; consent rules vary (see per-country notes below).
One-party vs all-party consent
Jurisdictions fall into two broad camps for recording a conversation:
| Model | What it means | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| One-party | Only one participant needs to be aware/consent. | Your notice is generally enough; recording can continue. |
| All-party (two-party) | Every participant must be informed and agree. | Play the notice, and give the caller a real chance to object or hang up before recording is used. |
For all-party regions, configure the agent so that after the greeting, a caller who objects to recording is offered an alternative (a callback from a human, or continuing without storing audio if your configuration allows). Log that choice.
When TeleTalker dials out, you're initiating contact. Make sure you have a lawful reason to call that person, that the recording notice plays before anything else, and that you respect do-not-call and calling-hour rules in their region.
Know what you're holding, and where it lives
Be accurate with your callers and honest with yourself about where call data actually goes. TeleTalker keeps recordings and transcripts on the device, and the voice engine provider processes call audio and transcripts in the cloud to generate speech and text.
| Data | Where it lives | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Call audio recording | On the device by default | Stored so you can review calls; treat as personal data. |
| Transcripts & structured notes | On the device; also processed by ElevenLabs | Text of what was said; may be used by the provider per their terms, including for service operation and, depending on settings, model training. |
| Phone number & contact name | On the device / your logs | Directly identifies a person. |
| Anything the caller shares | In the transcript | Could include health, financial, or other sensitive details — minimize what you ask for. |
Don't tell callers their data "never leaves the device." That isn't accurate for an AI voice service: audio and transcripts are processed by ElevenLabs to make the assistant work. State plainly that a third-party AI voice provider processes call audio and transcripts, and link to that provider's privacy terms.
Data minimization
The less you collect, the less you have to protect. Configure agents to ask only for what the task needs. A booking needs a name, number, and time — not a date of birth or a card number spoken aloud. If you don't need it, don't capture it.
Keep call data only as long as you need it
"We keep everything forever" is not a retention policy — it's a liability. Decide how long recordings and transcripts stay, write it down, and enforce it. A short, defensible retention window reduces risk and respects callers.
Set a retention window
- DecideChoose a default retention period for audio and transcripts—for example, 30, 60, or 90 days—based on why you keep them.
- Settings → Privacy & DataSet the retention period so older recordings and transcripts are removed automatically.
- ConsiderUse a shorter window for raw audio than for the structured notes you actually rely on.
- DocumentAdd the chosen periods to your privacy policy so callers know how long you hold their data.
If you keep recordings for service quality, they don't need to live for years. If a law in your sector requires a specific retention period, follow that — and delete when it expires.
Honor "show me" and "delete me" requests
People can ask for a copy of the data you hold about them and ask you to erase it. Build a simple, repeatable way to respond, and be ready to act on both the device and with your voice provider.
Transcript & recording deletion
- Per-call deletion — from the call history, open a call and delete its recording and transcript. Use this to honor an individual erasure request.
- Bulk / automatic deletion — the retention window (Section 06) removes old data on a schedule without manual work.
- Provider-side deletion — remember transcripts may also sit with ElevenLabs. To fully honor an erasure request, also remove or request deletion of the data held by the provider, per their controls.
Export controls
- Data access requests — when someone asks what you hold, export that caller's recordings, transcripts, and notes and provide them in a common format.
- Restrict who can export — call recordings are sensitive. Limit export to the account owner, protect the device with a lock, and don't share transcripts over insecure channels.
- Log exports — keep a simple record of what was exported and to whom, so you can show you handled the request responsibly.
Publish a contact (email is fine) where callers can request access or deletion, and commit to a response time. A monitored inbox plus the steps above is enough for most small operators.
Publish a privacy policy callers can find
A privacy policy is where you write down, in public, what the spoken notice says in brief. Host it somewhere stable (your website, or a page under your teletalker.app presence) and reference it if a caller wants detail.
A minimal policy should state:
- Who you are — the business responsible for the calls, and a contact.
- That an AI handles calls — and that calls are recorded and transcribed.
- What you collect — audio, transcripts, phone number, and whatever the task requires.
- Why — your purpose and lawful basis (service, bookings, quality, etc.).
- Who processes it — that a third-party AI voice provider (ElevenLabs) processes call audio and transcripts, with a link to their terms.
- How long you keep it — your retention periods from Section 06.
- Caller rights — how to request access or deletion, and how to object to recording.
Plain language beats legalese. Callers are more likely to trust a short, honest policy than a wall of boilerplate. Update it whenever your recording, retention, or provider setup changes.
Rules change at the border
This is orientation, not legal advice. Recording and AI-disclosure rules differ by country and sometimes by state or province. Check your local rules before you launch, especially if you record or call across regions.
European Union / EEA
Under GDPR, call audio and transcripts are personal data. You need a lawful basis, clear notice, retention limits, and must honor access/erasure rights. AI-transparency expectations are rising — disclose the AI clearly.
Notice + lawful basisUnited Kingdom
UK GDPR and the ICO's guidance mirror the EU: inform callers, limit retention, and support data-subject rights. Recording notice at the start of the call is standard practice.
Notice + lawful basisUnited States
Recording consent is set state by state. Many are one-party, but several (including California, Florida, and others) require all-party consent. Play the notice everywhere, and treat calls as all-party when in doubt.
Check state — often all-partyCanada
PIPEDA treats call recordings as personal information: identify your purpose, get appropriate consent, and limit collection. Federal telemarketing rules also apply to outbound calling.
Purpose + consentUAE / Gulf
Data-protection laws are newer and vary by emirate and free zone. Disclosure of recording and a clear purpose are expected; verify local telecom rules before outbound campaigns.
Disclose + verify locallyEverywhere else
Default to the strictest habit: play the AI-and-recording notice, keep a lawful reason, minimize what you collect, set a retention limit, and support deletion. It travels well.
Strictest-habit defaultIf your caller and your device are in different countries, more than one set of rules can apply. For outbound campaigns across regions, confirm consent and calling-hour rules for the caller's location, not just yours.
Fixes to earlier TeleTalker documents
Some earlier guides and FAQs contained figures and privacy claims that don't match the accurate product facts. Use these corrected values everywhere, and prefer them if you see a conflict.
| Topic | Old / inconsistent | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Call rate | ~$0.85/min; $0.45/mo | $0.05 / minute, pay-as-you-go |
| Credit value | Varied | $10 = 200 minutes · credits never expire |
| Privacy framing | "Audio never leaves device / not in cloud" | Calls are recorded; audio + transcripts are processed by ElevenLabs |
| Recording | Implied minimal/none | Calls are recorded and transcribed by default |
Telling callers their data stays entirely on-device when it is in fact processed by a third-party provider is itself a transparency failure. Accurate disclosure is the compliant choice — and the honest one.
Pre-launch compliance checklist
- Default greeting is set and plays automaticallyAI disclosure + recording notice at the start of every inbound and outbound call.
- Greeting is translated for every language you serveDisclosure and recording clause preserved in each translation.
- Agent confirms it's an AI if askedHonesty boundary written into the persona; never claims to be human.
- Human handoff path existsFor sensitive, uncertain, or emotional calls.
- Lawful basis identifiedYou know why you may record and call, per your region.
- Consent handled for all-party regionsObjecting callers get an alternative; the choice is logged.
- Data minimization reviewedAgents ask only for what the task needs.
- Retention window configuredAudio and transcripts auto-delete on a schedule you can defend.
- Deletion & export process readyPer-call deletion, provider-side deletion, and access exports all tested.
- Privacy policy publishedNames the AI, recording, ElevenLabs processing, retention, and caller rights.
- Per-country rules checkedEspecially for cross-border and outbound calling.
- Accurate figures in all caller-facing text$0.05/min; recording disclosed; no "never leaves device" claims.