Meeting translation and data privacy: where the audio goes

Before translating a work meeting with AI, it’s fair to ask: where does the audio go? This is an honest answer — no promises we can’t keep. Here you’ll see the real path the audio takes in Langless, the role of your own AI key (BYOK), what the server doesn’t store, and what to weigh before using it with sensitive data under data-protection law.

The audio flow, no hand-waving

To translate voice in real time, the audio has to be processed into text and into another language by an AI provider. That means the audio does pass through the server and the AI provider — there’s no magic that avoids it. The path is:

• Your audio leaves the browser over a TLS/HSTS connection (the same transport encryption a bank uses).
• Langless forwards that audio to the AI provider tied to your own key (BYOK), which does the transcription and translation.
• The translation comes back to you in real time.

Our full policy is on the privacy page.

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Why it’s NOT end-to-end encryption (E2E)

Let’s be direct: Langless is not E2E, and it can’t be. End-to-end encryption means no one in the middle can read the content — but to translate, the server and the AI provider need to see the audio in the clear. That’s a physical limitation of the task, not a product choice.

Every AI voice-translation tool shares this trait. It’s a fundamental technical limitation of all AI voice translation — not just Langless. We’d rather tell you that clearly.

What BYOK changes for your privacy

With Langless you use your own AI key (BYOK). That has a direct effect on privacy: the audio is processed by your account at the provider (OpenAI or Gemini), under their terms and policy — not in a shared account of ours. The key stays in your browser.

In practice, the handling of your audio data follows the contract your company has (or can have) with the AI provider — including enterprise no-retention and no-training options that some providers offer. It’s worth checking those settings directly in your provider account.

What the Langless server does NOT store

• We don’t store the audio of your meetings: it’s processed in real time and not kept on our servers.
• We don’t store your AI key: it stays in your browser.
• All traffic is protected by TLS/HSTS in transit.

What this protects well: the transport and the storage of data on our side. What remains technically readable: the audio while it’s being translated, by the provider tied to your key — as with any AI translation.

The recording stays local, on your device

During a session, the app keeps in your browser a buffer with the last few minutes of audio (capped at about 30 min and cleared with every new session), so you can replay or download it if you want. That buffer stays only on your device: we don’t send or keep anything on our servers. Saving (downloading) the recording is optional and entirely under your control.

What to consider for sensitive data and data-protection law

Data-protection law — such as the GDPR — doesn’t ban using AI; it requires clarity and accountability about how data is handled. For corporate meetings with sensitive data, consider:

• Who the AI provider tied to your key is, and what their retention/training policy is. Because BYOK uses your account, this is the central piece.
• If there’s personal or confidential information in the conversation, look at an appropriate enterprise contract/configuration with the provider.
• Letting participants know AI translation is in use, when it makes sense.

We don’t promise certifications (ISO, SOC) or E2E. Instead of seals, we offer full transparency about the data flow and the control BYOK gives you. For very high-risk legal or diplomatic cases, it’s worth comparing with a human interpreter.

What it costs and how to start carefully

Plans start at US$ 25/month + BYOK (~US$ 0.03/min, paid directly to the provider, with no markup). You can validate everything first with a free trial, no card — including checking, in your provider account, how the audio is handled. See the plans and the privacy policy.