Would you stay on a sales call if you knew you were being recorded without consent?
I was on a call with a founder and they asked me to turn on my camera on Google Meet.
I said no citing that they have brought in the call recorder without my consent. I consent for voice recording and summarizing, not video capture.
He said he needed it.
I said no problem, in that case I will have to cancel and leave the meeting.
But that’s not even the interesting part.
What’s interesting is why I said no.
More and more people are joining calls with AI note-takers, silent recorders, or “meeting assistants”, often without explicitly stating it.
Even if you don’t “accept” the bot, it doesn’t really matter anymore.
If someone wants to record, they will... one way or another.
And that creates a weird imbalance:
You’re being recorded
You didn’t consent
You don’t know how that data will be used, stored, or shared
Now compare that with how companies like Apple handle this.
When you call their support:
They explicitly tell you the call is being recorded
They control the storage and usage of that data
And importantly, they don’t allow you to record freely. If you insist on recording, they can refuse service.
Clear ownership and consent structure.
But in B2B calls today?
None of that exists.
Anyone can:
Record
Transcribe
Feed your conversation into AI
Store it indefinitely
All without saying a word.
So the real question is: Should business conversations move toward explicit mutual consent like Apple support calls? Or is silent recording just going to become the default and everyone has to adapt?
Let me know in the comments what you think about this.
Replies
Maybe we can move to an international signal (a ping/beep or something) that tells people it's been recorded. I believe you need to know.
Great post, Rohan — and a genuinely hard one.
I think there are two separate issues getting conflated: legality (varies by jurisdiction) and trust (universal).
Legally, you can sometimes record without consent. But in B2B, you're usually building a relationship — and relationships run on trust. So even if it's technically allowed, doing it silently is a trust withdrawal, even if the other person never finds out.
The Apple model works because the power dynamic is transparent. B2B is trickier because both sides have something at stake — which is exactly why consent matters more, not less.
My take: if you need to record, say so. If the other person declines, respect it. Losing a deal is better than losing your reputation for how you handle information.
Good point! Legality and trust really are two different things. Something can be technically allowed and still damage the relationship. Once that trust is gone it's very hard to get back.
Vois
I would argue in your favour on this. You need consent to record someone.
I am someone who loves having an AI note taker because you can revisit the conversation — you tend to forget a fair bit of it. Most importantly, it helps me plan for what's next. I think it's fair enough to have the call recorded and summarized, but not to have video recorded, since I do not like staring at a screen without being able to put a face to a name.
I would not be offended if you did not want your video to be recorded.
I believe what the founder demanded was absurd and unnecessary. For me, the requirement is to feel like I'm talking to a human rather than a machine or AI.
If I'm building a professional relationship with someone, I prefer a face-to-face conversation. I think consent should be mutual and not forced.
All the best.
I’d leave the call too. AI note-taker + clear "we're recording audio for notes" is fine. Silent bots, full video capture, and "turn camera on or no meeting" is not.
If the call needs hidden recording and forced video to work, the trust is already broken.
I’d probably drop immediately — trust is gone at that point.
It’s interesting how many modern workflows are becoming “record first, ask later.”
Curious how others balance efficiency vs consent in client communication?
Personally, I think all business conversations should be recorded. I’m also one of those people who uses an assistant.
The reason is pretty simple: it improves quality. There’s just way too much information being discussed and consumed to remember everything in detail. Especially if you’re having multiple conversations a day: even just five is already a huge amount of information. So if I really want to understand someone’s situation, I need access to all the details when I actually sit down and give it proper attention.
As for your concerns: I don’t really share them. There are already millions of photos and videos online. I’ve uploaded photos myself and been on podcasts. If someone wants to misuse something, they’ll do it with or without that specific call.
Also, I’d much rather see the notetaker than have someone recording the conversation without me knowing.
The benefits of recording / being recorded in meetings far outweigh the downsides.
A HUGE NOTE: if it’s a personal conversation, recording it would be ridiculous and I’m completely against it. But when it comes to business conversations, I’m all for it.
@byalexai Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I am using @Fathom and adding those disclaimer scripts that says this call will be recorded and a summary will be sent to you.
I forgot to mention in my post: I had 10+ calls that day and was already tired from being "on camera" all day. I just wanted to talk audio-only. I was surprised when the prospect insisted on video even after I said no, that's when I drew my boundary and politely ended the call.
I grew up on the internet. I do have a strong public presence (Google Knowledge Panel, newspapers, TV, media sites, YouTube, social media), so I'm not worried about AI misuse personally.
What I wanted to highlight was the "zoom fatigue" is real, it's the exhaustion from too much video conferencing, hitting with drained energy and severe symptoms like headaches, eye strain, and irritability (as we all felt during COVID).
Last year I had 1341 calls booked via @TidyCal. No one has ever demanded I need to be on video. I usually do video calls for clients. For prospects, I like the first call to be voice only.
So, the real questions are:
1. On days when you don't want to be on camera (especially as a professional juggling high-volume bookings), what do you do? How long can you stay performative on cam before it tanks?
2. If service companies like @Apple are adding a disclaimer, why is it so normalised in B2B calls? Is it because of the widespread adoption or tools like @Fathom @Granola @tl;dv @Fireflies.ai 👔 have set a precedent for other recording tools to follow?
@rohanrecommends Oh, I see. That’s understandable. I don’t see a problem with you not wanting to be on camera, so that’s totally fine. But with 1,341 conversations, all kinds of situations can come up, and all kinds of people with their own preferences.
Personally, I don’t really treat being on camera or not as a big deal. It doesn’t bother me. But I also understand people who don’t want to be. I don’t see any drama in their choice.
@byalexai Agreed. Thanks for chiming in, Aleksandar. :)
you were right to leave. that's the only leverage any of us actually have here.
the Apple comparison is interesting but it breaks down because Apple is the service provider. on a B2B call neither party is "the provider" so there's no clear authority on who sets the rules. it defaults to whoever hits record first.
the uncomfortable reality is that silent recording is already the norm and consent theater is catching up slowly. most people don't even notice the bot joining anymore. but I think the move isn't regulation or waiting for platforms to fix it. it's just normalizing what you did: asking, and being willing to walk if the answer isn't what you want.
the founders who get weird about that tell you a lot about how they'll handle other boundaries down the line.
Recording is necessary but so is consent!
ConnectMachine
This post has opened a new debate in the code of conduct for B2B and something that should be thoughtfully dealt with.
minimalist phone: creating folders
I would be for recording, but only if both parties agree. A few times, I worked even when I had health problems that were more of an aesthetic character; in that state, I wasn't comfortable showing up on the camera, team respected that.
At the moment, I think that voice-taking is enough for business purposes. For hiring, I also understand the video part, not only the audio.
But in general, consent is everything.