Legal aspects of Recording Voices

This page does not constitute legal advice. Legalities vary by jurisdiction.

Do I need permission to record clients voices?

Yes. You always need consent to record someone's voice. 

Is verbal consent sufficient? 

In many jurisdictions, verbal consent is sufficient — but requirements differ by country and state. Check the recording and privacy laws that apply to your practice.

Many Vets choose to ask for permission a second time, after they have started recording, so they have a record of the consent. 

Australia

In Australia, verbal consent is generally sufficient. See the Australian Government guidance on consent to the handling of personal information.

How do I ask for clients permission?

Many Vets ask with similar to:

"Would you mind if I use this app which listens to our consultation and helps me by taking notes?"

Will client's mind?

The vast majority of clients have no issue with their voice being recorded. Typically, they are very happy to be helping their Vet!

We commonly hear our "this call will be recorded for training..." on the phone, so generally people are already accustomed to having their voice recorded.

Is the recording stored securely?

VetNotes runs on ISO 27001-certified cloud infrastructure. You can choose where consultation audio is stored — Sydney (Australia) or London (UK) — in settings. For more info see Security & Privacy.