Record Phone calls - Legal

Veritape records phone calls - the law on recording phone calls is different in every part of the world.  We recommend that you inform the other party or parties to your phone call that you are taping their conversation.  In some states and countries, you are required to do this by law.

You need to ensure that you use Veritape in a legal and ethical manner.  Blue Starfish Ltd, the makers of Veritape, will not be held responsible for any action or inaction on your part which leads to or causes you to break the law.

Calls recorded using Veritape may not be admissible as evidence - we recommend you consult your solicitor to clarify the law in your location.

We have included some links to legal or other reference sites in different countries. These sites relate to recording telephone calls, or other telecommunications law. However, the information contained on these sites does not necessarily constitute a considered legal view of the telecommunications or other law in your location - you should consult your solicitor to clarify the law in your location.

If you spot any sites you think should be included here, please email us.

United States
  The Federal Communications Commission has information here which "provides information about recording telephone conversations".
  The American Civil Liberties Union has some telecomms legal information here - it is specific to different States.
  PI Mall has a list of each of the 50 States, with legal and other info relevant to each State here. Please note that these have been compiled from newsgroup postings.

United Kingdom
  If you click here you can see an answer to the question "Can I record telephone conversations?" from Oftel, the UK Office of Telecommunications. In short, it says "Yes, but you need to ensure that the other person knows you are doing this."
  On 19 August 1999, Oftel issued new guidance on the recording of telephone conversations.  You can read it here.
  In June 1999, the UK Home Office issued a consultation paper on the interception of communications in the UK.  You can read it here (you will need the Adobe Acrobat reader, available here).
  Some of the laws applicable to the recording of telephone calls (and other telecommunications) in the UK are:

the Interception of Communications Act 1985.
the Telecoms Act 1984.
the Human Rights Act 1998.
the Data Protection Act 1984.
the Data Protection Act 1998 (effective 1 March 2000).

  Many of these laws and publications can be viewed online at Her Majesty's Stationery Office (www.hmso.gov.uk) or The Stationery Office Online (www.itsofficial.net).

Europe
  In Europe, the EU Telecommunications Data Protection Directive may be applicable.

Australia
  The Australian Communications Authority website is here. They have published a "Telecommunications Interception Review" (TIR), which is located here (you will need the Adobe Acrobat reader, available here). The following quote is taken from the TIR:

"The Telecommunications (Interception) Act 1979 prohibits a person from listening to or recording, by any means, of a communication in its passage over a telecommunications system without the knowledge of the person making the communication. A communication includes conversation and a message, and any part of a conversation or message, whether in the form of speech, music or other sounds, data, text, visual images, signals or in any other form or combination of forms."

  The Australian Communications Industry Forum is here. They have established guidelines for the recording of telephone calls by companies in Australia.
  More information on recording phonecalls in Australia is available from the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department or from your State or Territory Attorney-General’s Department