Call Recording Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1) What is dynamic on demand call recording?
Answer) We allow call recording to be activated and de-activated on demand using a shortcode. The default shortcode is () 90, so dial the key followed by 90 on your device.

If you already have call recording active on an inbound call route or a SIP User, then using this shortcode will de-activate the call recording for the remainder of that call. You can reactivate it at any time during that call by simply dialling it again. You will hear tones each time you activate and de-activate call recording. These will not be heard by the other party.

Conversely, if you don't have call recording enabled, but would like to start call recording, just dial the shortcode and call recording will commence.

Our users love this feature as it allows them to disable call recording of sensitive information or capture a call recording on demand when they might otherwise not be recording a call.

If you need any further help today, please don't hesitate to contact our friendly support team on 03300 437543 or by email!

Question 2) Can I legally record and / or monitor phone calls?
Answer) That’s a question that needs to be clarified with your legal team - however, the law around recording calls is mainly set by The Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000.

Recording and monitoring telephone calls or e-mails

In short, this states that you can only record a call under one of the following circumstances:

• To provide evidence of a business transaction.
• To ensure that a business complies with regulatory procedures.
• To see that quality standards or targets are being met in the interests of national security.
• To prevent or detect crime.
• To investigate the unauthorised use of a telecom system.
• To secure the effective operation of the telecom system.

Most importantly, this legislation also states that reasonable efforts need to be made for BOTH parties on a call to be aware that the call is being recorded or monitored.

In 2016, a set of new data laws called GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) were established, and this also affects the law around call recordings. What GDPR means, effectively, is just that your data is even MORE tightly controlled. We, for example:

• Encrypt all data on our disks with AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption. This means that any data stored by us can only be decrypted by us, using a unique, protected and inaccessible key.
• Support SRTP, which is a secure form of audio encryption. You can enable / disable this in your account, as most devices don’t enable this as standard.
• Allow you to enable / disable call recordings on a user by user basis.
• Provide a shortcode feature that lets you temporarily disable recordings - for example, if you’re discussing sensitive information over the phone, you can key in a shortcode that disables any recording.
• Allow you to delete any and all recordings from your dashboard, by simply accessing them from your account.

It’s also vital that you have steps in place to codify exactly who has access to your call data, how it is stored, and how you are protected in case of any data theft.

It’s not possible to provide comprehensive legal details around the legislation of call recordings here - any person considering interception, recording or monitoring of telephone calls or e-mails is strongly advised to seek their own independent legal advice and should not seek to rely on the general information provided above. It should be borne in mind that criminal offences and civil actions may occur when the relevant legislation is not complied with. Accordingly, Oftel accepts no liability for reliance by any person on the above information.

If you need any further help today, please don't hesitate to contact our friendly support team on 03300 437543 or by email!