Call recording is a key part of business across many sectors, from helping teams deliver better service to supporting compliance and resolving disputes. But if you’re planning to record phone calls, it’s important to understand the rules that come with it.
In the UK, strict data protection laws and industry-specific regulations clearly define what businesses can and can’t do.
Staying compliant does more than just meet legal requirements. It protects your customers, helps you avoid costly fines, builds trust, and gives you confidence that your business is operating responsibly.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through the main UK call recording laws, where call recording regulations apply, and how to manage your data in a way that’s both effective and compliant.
UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
If your call recordings include personal data (which most do), you need a lawful basis for recording, transparent communication with callers and secure data handling.
Failing to meet GDPR requirements can lead to serious consequences, including fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of your organisation’s global turnover. Beyond financial consequences, data breaches can seriously impact your customers’ trust in your business.
Data Protection Act 2018
The Data Protection Act works alongside GDPR to give people clear rights over their personal information, including access, correction and deletion. It also sets expectations around how long you should keep recordings.
There’s no one-size-fits-all rule here, but the general guidance is that data should only be kept for as long as it’s needed for its original purpose. That means you’ll need security measures in place to manage this safely and responsibly.
Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice) Regulations 2000
This regulation gives businesses some flexibility to record calls without consent, but only in specific situations. These situations might include:
- Monitoring quality or performance
- Meeting compliance requirements
- Documenting business transactions
- Preventing fraud or crime
- Ensuring systems are working properly
Even in these cases, it’s best practice to tell people they’re being recorded. And remember, GDPR still applies – so data collection must be necessary, relevant and well-protected.
Keep recording transparent
Even when you don’t need explicit consent, it’s essential to be upfront with callers. A simple message like “We may record this call for training and quality purposes” works well.
That said, you do need explicit consent if you’re going to use a recording in a different context, for example, sharing it externally or using it beyond its original purpose
Know the rules for your industry
Different sectors have their own regulatory requirements for how long call recordings should be stored, how they’re accessed and how they’re protected.
Financial Services
Under FCA regulations, firms must record all client communications about transactions and store them securely for at least five years. Easy access, encryption and clear audit trails are all part of compliance.
Healthcare
Calls involving patient data must be handled with extra care. That means clear justification, secure storage and robust policies to maintain confidentiality.
Public sector
For government agencies and public safety organisations, secure storage and long-term retention are key. Many need to keep recordings for extended periods and ensure access is tightly controlled.
Contact centres and insurance
These sectors often process sensitive payment and personal data. Call recordings need to comply with GDPR, making tools like redaction and access logging are important to meet those standards.
Managing call data the right way
Knowing the law is just step one – how you manage data day to day is where the real challenge begins. Some common hurdles include:
- Outdated systems that store call data in separate silos, making it hard to keep track of.
- Physical servers or old software that drain time and money.
- Security risks in older platforms that don’t support modern encryption.
Call recordings that are hard to access or stored inconsistently can quickly become a liability. Without the right tools in place, storing data and meeting compliance standards can become a long, complicated process.
How long should you keep call recordings?
The rules around how long you store recordings depend on why you’re recording them and what industry you’re in. For example:
- Financial services firms must retain recordings for at least five years.
- Some public sector and legal matters may require much longer retention.
In most cases, data should only be kept for as long as it’s needed to meet its original purpose.
How adepsi can help
We understand how complex managing call data can get, especially when you’re working with multiple systems and strict compliance requirements.
That’s exactly why we created adepsi – an all-in-one solution to help you stay organised, secure and compliant, without the hassle.
If you think adepsi could help your business stay compliant, reach out to our team – we’re happy to chat.
