The Elephant in the Room: Otter's Legal Troubles
In August 2025, Otter.ai was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging the company secretly recorded millions of users' voices and used the data to train AI models without consent.
Legal Alert: The lawsuit claims Otter violated wiretapping laws by recording meetings and using biometric voice data for AI training without explicit user consent.
This isn't an isolated incident. NPR reported on employees discovering their meetings were being recorded by Otter bots they never invited, with transcripts being automatically shared with colleagues.
Privacy: A Fundamental Difference
Privacy isn't just a feature—it's a philosophy. Here's how the two platforms compare:
| Feature | UaiTec | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Bot in meetings | ✓ No bot needed | ✗ Bot joins meetings |
| Data used for AI training | ✓ Never | ✗ Lawsuit pending |
| Participant consent | ✓ User controls | ✗ Can auto-join |
| Auto-email transcripts | ✓ Manual only | ✗ Auto to all participants |
Feature Comparison: Beyond Just Transcription
While Otter focuses primarily on meeting transcription, UaiTec is designed to be your complete knowledge management platform.
| Capability | UaiTec | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Max duration | Unlimited | 30-40 min (free) |
| Languages supported | 100+ | English primarily |
| Content sources | 1000+ | Zoom/Meet/Teams |
| YouTube support | ✓ | ✗ |
| Podcast support | ✓ | ✗ |
| File uploads | Unlimited | 3 on free tier |
| Speaker diarization | ✓ Automatic | Manual setup |
| Subtitle generation | ✓ 100+ languages | ✗ |
| Knowledge library | ✓ Cross-content search | Basic search |
What Real Users Say
Reddit and professional forums are full of Otter.ai complaints:
“The Otter bot just showed up in my client call uninvited. Everyone was asking who it was. Completely unprofessional.”
— Reddit user, r/productivity
“Somehow my private interview recordings ended up being shared with my whole team. Still don't know how that happened.”
— Reddit user, r/consulting
When to Choose Each Tool
✅Choose UaiTec if you...
- •Value privacy and don't want bots joining your meetings
- •Need to process content longer than 30-40 minutes
- •Work with YouTube videos, podcasts, or lectures
- •Need content in multiple languages (100+ supported)
- •Want to build a searchable knowledge library
- •Are a creator looking to monetize your content
⚠️Choose Otter if you...
- •Only need English meeting transcription
- •Don't mind bots joining your meetings
- •Have short meetings (under 40 minutes)
The Bottom Line
Otter.ai was revolutionary when it launched, but recent privacy concerns and feature limitations have opened the door for alternatives. UaiTec offers a privacy-first approach with more flexibility, unlimited duration support, and a genuine knowledge management platform—not just meeting notes.