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Watch To Know When Recording Phone Conversations

By Steve Thibeault

You might think that it is a little covert to engage in this practice, but there are often good reasons for recording phone conversations. If you work in the field of law enforcement, or journalism, you will have seen that this procedure is used extensively. If you want to get proof of discussions during the course of delicate negotiations, or to have answers to any questions which may be raised in the future, this may be a good idea for you. The technology in this area is very straightforward and there are a variety of good products out there, but do make sure that you follow all the legal requirements before going forward.

Recording phone conversations is quite common, especially in the field of journalism. Radio personnel often tape interviews for rebroadcast, for example. A public information officer may be interviewed following some activity or incident and his or her statement recorded for broadcast at subsequent intervals. How often have we heard the statement "this conversation may be recorded for training purposes" when we receive a call from a business? Also, conversations are routinely recorded by law-enforcement officers for legal purposes.

Make sure that you do not fall foul of the law when recording phone conversations. Civil and criminal penalties could apply as the laws are particularly sensitive. Within the United States, federal law dictates that a minimum of one party should be aware that the call is being recorded.

Within the United States, a number of states require that all parties be aware that the conversation is being recorded. You should check, therefore, whether your state requires the one party or two-party rule be adhered to. When your call crosses state lines, make sure that you are aware of the applicable laws in that state as well.

You might need evidence that the other party has given you permission, so make sure that you have this before you consider recording phone conversations. Try and get this permission on tape. Journalists often read a lawyer-prepared script to the other person, routinely. Many professional journalists read the script on every occasion, advising the other party or parties that they intend to rebroadcast the chat.

Journalists often cite freedom of the press and tell us that the interviewed party does not need to give them permission but must be informed that they are being recorded. If you are a journalist, make sure that you have clear cause for taping the conversation and that the story is of obvious public importance. There are significant civil, and possibly criminal penalties for those who do not exercise due diligence in this area.

Digital phone recorders allow you to record phone conversations through a telephone line. The units are generally activated by sound or by somebody picking up the phone and they can be connected to any telephone jack. These units use their own memory and do not need a tape. They can be connected to the computer via a high-speed USB port. Some products can record for up to 2400 hours, using an SD card and the products are laden with features.

Digital recorders used for recording phone conversations can encode any audio source, have a variety of features including sound amplification, time and date stamping and have the ability to record telephone calls unattended. Those who intend to use these items should make sure that they follow all legal guidelines.

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