What's new
DroidForums.net | Android Forum & News

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Call recording

Re: Only real solution is there are also some paid dial-in services that will record both sides...you call it up, enter the # to call, and it records both sides, then emails it to you or something like that.

I use a so-called gateway device at home, which communicates with the phone via bluetooth and can be rigged to record on a digital or analog voice recorder. But that solution isn't very practical when you are away from home base.

Bill
 
[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD] [TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD]California
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida[/TD]
[TD]Massachusetts
Maryland
Michigan
Montana[/TD]
[TD]New Hampshire
Pennsylvania
Washington[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Just curious where you got this list from. When I lived in CA (about 8 years ago) it was a 1 party state. Wondering if and when this changed or if the police actually assisted in me breaking the law... sorry I know this isn't what the thread is about
 
Just curious where you got this list from. When I lived in CA (about 8 years ago) it was a 1 party state. Wondering if and when this changed or if the police actually assisted in me breaking the law... sorry I know this isn't what the thread is about

I can't recall the exact location for that list, but here's one I think we can depend on. It lists each state and then details the specific laws for that state. It's used by reporters to assure their activities when recording phone conversations don't get themselves into hot water.

Alabama | Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press


By the way, California is definitely an "all parties" state and the fines and costs are pretty hefty;

"It is a crime in California to intercept or eavesdrop upon any confidential communication, including a telephone call or wire communication, without the consent of all parties. Cal. Penal Code §§ 631, 632. It is also a crime to disclose information obtained from eavesdropping. However, an individual can still be convicted without disclosing information. Two appellate courts have held that there is no disclosure or publication requirement for violation of the Privacy Act by recording confidential communications without consent. Coulter v. Bank of America, 28 Cal. App. 4th 923 (Cal. Ct. App. 1994). Marich v. MGM/UA Telecommunications, Inc., 113 Cal. App. 4th 415 (Cal. Ct. App. 2003).

Eavesdropping upon or recording a conversation, whether by telephone or face-to-face, when a person would reasonably expect their conversation to be confined to the parties present, carries the same penalty as intercepting telephone or wire communications. A California appellate court ruled that a network’s broadcast of a news report that used excerpts from secret recordings during two patient examinations violated the privacy rights of the physician, who had a reasonable expectation that his communications with his patients would be private and not recorded. Lieberman v. KCOP Television, Inc. 110 Cal. App. 4th 156 (Cal. Ct. App. 2003).

But, conversations that occur at any public gathering where one could expect to be overheard, including any legislative, judicial or executive proceeding open to the public, are not covered by the statute. For example, when a television network used a hidden camera to videotape a conversation that took place at a business lunch meeting on a crowded outdoor patio of a public restaurant, the conduct did not violate the Penal Code’s prohibition against eavesdropping because it was not a “confidential communication.” Wilkins v. NBC, Inc., 71 Cal. App. 4th 1066 (Cal. Ct. App. 1999).

However, an appellate court has ruled that using a hidden video camera in a private place does violate the statute. California v. Gibbons, 215 Cal. App. 3d 1204 (Cal. Ct. App. 1989). It is not a crime to take notes during a conversation or later summarize or disclose one’s recollection of a communication. People v. Wyrick, 77 Cal. App. 3d 903 (Cal. Ct. App. 1978).
A first offense of eavesdropping is punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 and imprisonment for no more than one year. Subsequent offenses carry a maximum fine of $10,000 and jail sentence of up to one year. Intercepting, recording, and disclosing information each carries a separate penalty.

Anyone injured by a violation of the laws against disclosure of telegraphic or telephonic messages can recover civil damages of $5,000 or three times actual damages, whichever is greater. Cal. Penal Code § 637.2(a). A civil action for invasion of privacy also may be brought against the person who committed the violation. Cal. Penal Code § 637.2."
 
Last edited:
Found it.

American Legal Guide on Recording Telephone Conversations (USA)

But there is also info on Wikipedia at Telephone recording laws - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
which confirms the all party states list above and shows Delaware as well. According to Reporter's Committee for Freedom of the Press, Delaware has apparently joined the ranks where they wish to err on the side of caution since the law can be interpreted both ways:

  • California[SUP][11][/SUP]
  • Connecticut
  • Florida[SUP][12][/SUP]
  • Illinois (debated, see next section)
  • Maryland[SUP][13][/SUP]
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Montana [SUP][14][/SUP] (requires notification only)
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • Pennsylvania[SUP][15][/SUP]
 
That makes sense

I absolutely LOVE the OP's first post. I totally feel for you. Ever single discussion on this topic devolves into legalities despite all efforts to the contrary.

But I do understand a little better now why Motorola chose to disable this feature.

SO, while I'm guessing this may not be the right place to answer this question, perhaps someone could point me in the correct direction: What if we look for ANY SMARTPHONE AT ALL, with ANY OS, from ANY MANUFACTURER. Does anyone know of a smartphone that will record both sides of a conversation while using a bluetooth headset? I don't care what carrier, I don't care what make or model. ANYTHING AT ALL!?

I remember doing research on this topic years ago, and I think that the first iterations of the Palm Pre could do it... Don't know if blue tooth existed back then though. :biggrin:

I'm so desperate for this functionality I'd be willing to buy a separate phone and pay a separate bill for it. But don't think that I'd be wiling to pay those by-the-minute recording companies. I blow through 2,000+ minutes a month easy, and I want to record 100% of it. I also am using my hands nearly 100% of the time while working, so I can't really use any solution that requires a wired headset or other devices.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, people really missed the mark about "do not talk about legality"... Thanks for that guys, it was all very helpful... oh wait...

SMH

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Droid Forums
 
I absolutely LOVE the OP's first post. I totally feel for you. Ever single discussion on this topic devolves into legalities despite all efforts to the contrary.

But I do understand a little better now why Motorola chose to disable this feature.

SO, while I'm guessing this may not be the right place to answer this question, perhaps someone could point me in the correct direction: What if we look for ANY SMARTPHONE AT ALL, with ANY OS, from ANY MANUFACTURER. Does anyone know of a smartphone that will record both sides of a conversation while using a bluetooth headset? I don't care what carrier, I don't care what make or model. ANYTHING AT ALL!?

I remember doing research on this topic years ago, and I think that the first iterations of the Palm Pre could do it... Don't know if blue tooth existed back then though. :biggrin:

I'm so desperate for this functionality I'd be willing to buy a separate phone and pay a separate bill for it. But don't think that I'd be wiling to pay those by-the-minute recording companies. I blow through 2,000+ minutes a month easy, and I want to record 100% of it. I also am using my hands nearly 100% of the time while working, so I can't really use any solution that requires a wired headset or other devices.

Yeah, people really missed the mark about "do not talk about legality"... Thanks for that guys, it was all very helpful... oh wait...

SMH

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Droid Forums

I can appreciate your both wanting information on how to do something, even if it may be illegal for you to do, however this forum also has responsibilities to its members and the general public, to inform. If nobody told the OP (or you ZandarKoad) that it was a good chance it was illegal in your state, and you did it and got caught, somewhere in the back of your mind would likely be the thought of "why didn't anyone tell me?".

It's to be expected that a discussion on a public forum about a topic like this will "devolve" into legalities since it sits squarely on the line depending on which state you are in. Though you - ZandarKoad said "But I do understand a little better now why Motorola chose to disable this feature.", so even you were not aware of all the potential reasons why, and frankly what's been discussed on this thread doesn't even begin to cover all the reasons why.

Safe it to say, if it's a topic about an action that hinges on legality in an open forum, the discussion will eventually get there. In your case, if you are in a 1 party state, have at it, but if you are in a 2 party state, be forewarned of the potential consequences. There is also a Federal law (18 U.S.C. §2511(2)(d)) which protects phone calls from being recorded if none of the parties are aware, so if you lend your phone to someone else and have the call recorded (because you ZandarKoad have it set to "record 100% of it" and you fail to notify the person whom you loaned your phone to), you have broken the state wiretapping law. SO even if you ARE in a 1 party state, you can STILL violate the law if you're not careful. Also, if a caller in a one-party state (presume you), records a conversation with someone in a two-party state that caller (again you) is subject to the stricter of the laws and must have consent from all callers (Cf. Kearney v. Salomon Smith Barney Inc., 39 Cal. 4th 95 (2006)). Another potential violation if you weren't aware of it.

Proceed at your own risk.
 
Last edited:
FoxKat said:
I can appreciate your both wanting information on how to do something, even if it may be illegal for you to do, however this forum also has responsibilities to its members and the general public, to inform. If nobody told the OP (or you ZandarKoad) that iI understand yourt was a good chance it was illegal in your state, and you did it and got caught, somewhere in the back of your mind would likely be the thought of "why didn't anyone tell me?".

Though I understand your point, and even the necessity for hijacking the thread, there are already dozens of similar threads outlining exactly what is and isn't legal. Rather than just recreating another legality thread, I wanted to stir some thoughts about practicality. All someone had to do was say "fyi this might be illegal" and link to one of the threads discussing why, and then allow the thread to go on unhindered. Sadly it doesn't seem to matter how much we discuss it though, without flashing a custom ROM it doesn't seem possible at all :(

Thanks for everyone's input, maybe someone will come up with a solution :)

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Droid Forums
 
Recording all calls

Alright, apparently the Palm OS is one of the very few which allows full call recording. It's been reported that the Palm Centro still has this capability, as it uses the Palm OS. Unfortunately the Palm Pre switched to the Web OS, so no call recording there. For me, I need a Palm Centro on the Verizon network (to use on Page Plus), and the Palm Centro 690 fits the bill. They can be had for around $30 refurbished on Amazon, so it's a cheap experiment.

Hopefully this way I'll be able to use bluetooth, record all calls (up to a 4 Gb memory card is good enough for me), and just use some other device for my internet needs... I doubt I'll be able to tolerate the Palm Centro for anything other than phone calls after using a Droid 2 for over a year.

PALM CENTRO FTW!!!
 
Though I understand your point, and even the necessity for hijacking the thread, there are already dozens of similar threads outlining exactly what is and isn't legal. Rather than just recreating another legality thread, I wanted to stir some thoughts about practicality. All someone had to do was say "fyi this might be illegal" and link to one of the threads discussing why, and then allow the thread to go on unhindered. Sadly it doesn't seem to matter how much we discuss it though, without flashing a custom ROM it doesn't seem possible at all :(

Thanks for everyone's input, maybe someone will come up with a solution :)

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Droid Forums

And yes there are other threads, but if I had simply made the comment about legality and provided a link and let the thread go "unhindered" there were several potential paths it could take and it may have ultimately required closing.

I do hope you get/got your answer.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Xparent ICS Tapatalk 2
 
Meh, learned enough to know it's not possible, at least without a ton of work, which (since it's really for convenience only) isn't worth the effort. Thanks for your help! :)

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Droid Forums
 
it is not possible on the Razr because you cannot change kernel because of locked bootloader. i know 100% that you can do it on thunderbolt and about 75% sure it can be done on nexus and rezound. . any unlocked bootloader phone it is possible as long as a dev has made the kernel.. all the magic is in the kernel. :)
 
Alright, the Palm Centro is a FAIL (if you are hoping to record over a blue tooth headset).

It works, but only with the phone itself. The Palm Centro, with the CallRec app, only records audio from the handset, and does not record ANY audio from the headset. When I'm using my blue tooth head set (a Savor M1100), the app still records my audio from the phone, but if I set the phone down and walk away, it doesn't record me THROUGH the headset. Also, it record absolutely nothing of the other party when using the headset. SO, BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD!

I'll try some other palm recording apps before starting to hack a droid. Update: All other apps are the same...

Ya know I'm glad... The centro kinda sucks in all other regards. :)
 
Last edited:
Back
Top