Default rule: If a meeting might include sensitive information, do not allow third-party AI bots. Use UCSB Zoom transcription only. When in doubt, apply this rule.
Contents
- Policy first: when you cannot use third-party bots
- Removing bots if you set one up
- If you are a meeting participant (not the bot owner)
- A note for faculty: student meeting agents
- Stopping a bot via Zoom chat
- Preventing bots from joining your meetings
- Quick reference: common bot display names
AI meeting assistants like Read.ai, Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, and tl;dv join your Zoom calls as virtual participants to record and transcribe. This guide covers how to remove them and what our obligations are under UCSB policy.
Policy first: when you cannot use third-party bots
UCOP/UCSB IS-3 (Electronic Information Security Policy) requires that sensitive institutional data be handled only using UCSB-approved tools. Third-party meeting bots -- regardless of how well-regarded they are -- are not approved tools for collecting or storing this data.
Who is responsible?
The meeting host is responsible for ensuring no unauthorized bots are present. If a co-host has been assigned, that responsibility is shared. For recurring meetings with no clear host, the person who created the calendar invite owns this. The key principle: someone specific is always accountable -- "I assumed someone else was checking" is not a defense.
What counts as sensitive in a meeting?
Sensitive information includes anything protected under FERPA (student educational records), personally identifiable information (PII) as defined under UCSB policy, or anything that is not intended for public or broad distribution. In practice, if a conversation might include any of the following, a third-party bot should not be recording it:
| Category | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| Student information (FERPA) | Grades, academic standing, academic integrity matters, advising conversations, enrollment status | ✗ No third-party bots |
| Personnel matters | Performance issues, medical or leave situations, HR discussions | ✗ No third-party bots |
| Health disclosures | Someone mentioning illness, a medical condition, or requesting accommodation | ✗ No third-party bots |
| Internal deliberations | Search committees, promotion and tenure, budget decisions, disciplinary matters | ✗ No third-party bots |
| Any non-public information | Anything not intended for public or broad distribution | ✗ No third-party bots |
| Fully public meetings | Open seminars, public-facing presentations with no Q&A involving personal info | ✓ Bot use may be appropriate |
⚠ The standard is low intentionally. If there is a reasonable chance sensitive information will come up -- even informally -- that is enough. You do not need to wait for something sensitive to be said before the policy applies. When unsure, apply the default rule: no third-party bots.
What is currently approved?
At this time, the only UCSB-approved transcription tool for meetings that may contain protected data is ✓ Zoom's built-in transcription feature, available through your UCSB Zoom account. Unlike third-party bots, this keeps data within UCSB's contracted environment.
If you have a legitimate research or operational need for AI transcription beyond what Zoom provides, contact the Bren Compute Team to discuss options before adopting a tool.
Pre-meeting checklist for hosts
Run through this before every meeting that may include sensitive information:
- ✓ Is Zoom's Waiting Room enabled so you can screen participants before they join?
- ✓ Have you reviewed the participant list after everyone joins? Look for names ending in "Notetaker," "Bot," or "Assistant."
- ✓ Is the meeting locked after it starts (Security > Lock Meeting) to prevent late bot joins?
- ✓ If transcription is needed, is it set to use Zoom's built-in feature -- not a third-party integration?
- ✓ Have participants been notified if any recording or transcription is taking place?
- ✓ If you are unsure whether sensitive information will come up -- have you applied the default rule and disabled third-party bots?
Removing bots if you set one up
Read.ai
- Go to app.read.ai > Settings > Integrations
- Under Calendar, click Disconnect to stop future auto-joins
- Active meeting: remove the "Read.ai Notetaker" participant in the Zoom Participants panel
Otter.ai
- Go to otter.ai > Profile > Apps & Integrations
- Disconnect your Zoom and/or Google Calendar integrations
- Active session: open the Otter app and tap Stop on the active conversation
Fireflies.ai
- Go to app.fireflies.ai > Integrations > Zoom > toggle off Auto-join
- Active meeting: remove the "Fireflies.ai Notetaker" attendee in the Participants panel
tl;dv
- Go to tl.dv > Settings > Integrations -- disconnect Zoom/Google Calendar
- Active meeting: remove the "tl;dv" participant from Zoom
General steps for any bot
- Stop it now: Remove the bot as a Zoom participant (Participants panel > hover > More > Remove)
- Stop future auto-joins: Revoke the bot's calendar or Zoom integration in the app's settings
- Review recordings: Check the app's dashboard -- most allow you to delete saved transcripts
⚠ Note: Removing the bot from Zoom stops audio capture for that session. It does not delete anything already recorded. If sensitive data was captured, contact the Bren Compute Team.
If you are a meeting participant (not the bot owner)
Step 1 -- Identify the bot
Look for attendees with names like:
- "Read.ai Notetaker" / "OtterPilot" / "Fireflies.ai Notetaker" / "Fred"
- "tl;dv" / "Tactiq" / "Fathom" / "Avoma Notetaker"
- Any name ending in "Notetaker," "Bot," or "Assistant"
Step 2 -- Speak up
Ask the host whether recording is active and whether participants have been notified. California requires all parties to consent before a confidential conversation is recorded (two-party consent). Recording without that consent is not permitted under California law and violates UCSB policy. This applies to virtual meetings.
Step 3 -- Ask the host to remove it
If you are the host or co-host: Participants panel > hover over the bot > More > Remove.
Step 4 -- If the bot stays and the conversation is sensitive
- ✓ You may choose to leave the meeting
- ✓ Notify the Bren Compute Team or your supervisor if undisclosed recording involved sensitive information
- ⚠ Do not assume that because a bot was there, the recording is harmless -- ask the host to delete it
- When unsure: apply the default rule. No third-party bots.
A note for faculty: student meeting agents
Students increasingly use AI tools -- including agents that can autonomously join Zoom meetings on their behalf -- as part of coursework, research, or personal productivity. Faculty should be aware of a few things.
⚠ What this looks like: A student's AI agent joins a class session, office hours, or advising meeting as a bot participant -- sometimes without the student actively making that decision, because the agent was configured to auto-join calendar events.
The concerns:
- ✗ Other students in the room have not consented to being recorded by a third-party tool they don't control
- ✗ Office hours and advising conversations often contain FERPA-protected information -- IS-3 applies here too
- ✗ The recording ends up in a cloud service outside UCSB's control
What faculty can do:
- ✓ Set a clear expectation in your syllabus and at the start of class: AI agents or bots may not join your sessions without prior permission. This is reasonable and enforceable.
- ✓ Enable the Waiting Room on your UCSB Zoom account so you can screen participants before they join. Bot names are often identifiable (see quick reference below).
- ✓ Remove unrecognized participants at the start of any session -- especially office hours or small-group meetings. You do not need to explain yourself.
- ✓ If a student says they need transcription for accessibility: direct them to UCSB's Disability Resource Center, which has approved workflows for this. A third-party bot is not the right solution even with good intent.
- ✓ If a student's bot has already captured a session: ask them to delete the recording and remind them of the policy. Escalate to the Bren Compute Team if needed.
Faculty have full authority to control who -- and what -- participates in their meetings. Treating an AI agent the same as an uninvited human attendee is appropriate.
Stopping a bot via Zoom chat
Some bots monitor the meeting chat and will stop recording -- or leave entirely -- if they receive a specific command. This can be faster than tracking down the host. Type the command in the Zoom chat (to Everyone):
| Bot | Chat command | |
|---|---|---|
| Fireflies.ai | !ff stop |
✓ Supported |
| Otter.ai (OtterPilot) | @OtterPilot stop |
✓ Supported |
| Read.ai | No chat command | ✗ Remove as participant |
| tl;dv | No chat command | ✗ Remove as participant |
| Fathom | No chat command | ✗ Remove as participant |
⚠ Caveats:
- This is not guaranteed. Bot developers can change behavior at any time, and some bots ignore chat commands entirely.
- It does not delete what was already recorded. It only stops further capture from that point.
- The bot may not leave the call even if it stops recording -- its continued presence as a participant does not necessarily mean it is still transcribing.
- If the chat command does not work, fall back to removing the bot as a participant (host/co-host only) or asking the host to do so.
Preventing bots from joining your meetings
| Setting | Where to find it | |
|---|---|---|
| Require approval to join | Zoom > Security > enable Waiting Room | ✓ Recommended |
| Disable third-party recording | Zoom Admin Portal > Account Settings > Recording | ✓ Recommended |
| Lock the meeting after start | In-meeting: Security > Lock Meeting | ✓ Recommended |
| Review connected apps | zoom.us/account > Advanced > Connected Apps | ✓ Recommended |
Quick reference: common bot display names
| Bot | Zoom display name | App |
|---|---|---|
| Read.ai | "Read.ai Notetaker" | read.ai |
| Otter.ai | "OtterPilot" | otter.ai |
| Fireflies | "Fireflies.ai Notetaker" or "Fred" | fireflies.ai |
| tl;dv | "tl;dv" | tl.dv |
| Tactiq | "Tactiq" | tactiq.io |
| Fathom | "Fathom" | fathom.video |
| Avoma | "Avoma Notetaker" | avoma.com |
Questions or concerns about a recording incident? Contact the Bren Compute Team.