The University of Massachusetts’ Information Technology (IT) department blocked the online transcription sites Otter.ai and MeetGeek on Feb. 9, citing a violation of the University’s Acceptable Use Policy. Chief Information Security Officer Matthew Dalton stated that the ban was primarily due to the platforms’ breach of Massachusetts’ all-party consent statute. This means that consent must be obtained from every participant in a conversation if recording is to take place. As a result of the ban, students and UMass community members seeking transcription services are now restricted to the built-in transcription features of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, with whom the University has contracts. Otter.ai and MeetGeek are considered “third-party” transcription services.
The concerns raised by Otter.ai and MeetGeek, which use artificial intelligence to generate real-time transcription, were mainly related to their failure to obtain consent from individuals being recorded. While no complaints were made about an invasion of privacy, some community members raised questions about the extent of the bots’ meeting privileges. The IT department, after consulting various on-campus groups, ultimately decided to ban Otter.ai and MeetGeek. Around seven MeetGeek users and 100 Otter.ai users associated with a UMass email address were affected by the ban.
The key distinction highlighted by Dalton was that while Zoom and Microsoft Teams provide consent disclaimers when recording begins, Otter.ai and MeetGeek do not require consent from other individuals participating in the meeting. The decision to ban these transcription services was also influenced by concerns about data privacy and security.
While any member of the UMass community can access University-approved transcription software, such services are also available to students with disabilities as accommodations. Platforms like Glean and Zoom are approved by the Assistive Technology Center (ATC) for those with disabilities. Glean, in particular, offers real-time transcription and other features that cater to the specific needs of individuals.
Overall, the decision to ban Otter.ai and MeetGeek was made collaboratively, taking into account input from various campus groups and considering the impact on different populations. The IT department continues to review and revise its policies to ensure the security and compliance of its services.
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