It's a common concern in today's digital meeting landscape: the presence of AI notetakers like Otter.ai. While incredibly useful for some, they can raise privacy concerns and make participants feel less comfortable speaking freely. If you're looking to block Otter.ai from your Google Meet calls, you've come to the right place! This comprehensive guide will walk you through the various methods, from individual settings to organizational controls.
Let's dive in and take back control of your meeting privacy!
Blocking Otter.ai on Google Meet: A Step-by-Step Guide
Blocking Otter.ai can involve several approaches, depending on whether you're an individual user or a Google Workspace administrator. We'll cover both scenarios in detail.
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| How To Block Otter Ai On Google Meet |
Step 1: Engage Your Team and Understand the "Why"
Before you even touch a setting, the absolute first step is to communicate. If Otter.ai is showing up in your meetings, it's likely because someone in your organization or on the call is intentionally using it, perhaps for convenience or to ensure good meeting notes.
Sub-heading: Why the Conversation Matters
Reminder: Reading twice often makes things clearer.
Transparency is Key: People might not realize the privacy implications or that others are uncomfortable.
Identify the Source: A quick chat can reveal if it's a personal habit, a team-mandated tool, or an unapproved application.
Find Alternatives: If note-taking is the goal, you can explore other methods that don't involve third-party AI bots, such as manual note-taking or using Google Meet's native recording features (with consent, of course!).
Action: Have an open conversation with your team members or meeting participants. Explain your concerns about Otter.ai and why you want to block it. You might find that simply raising awareness is enough to deter its use.
Step 2: Individual User Controls – Disconnecting Otter.ai from Your Accounts
If you're an individual user and Otter.ai is automatically joining your Google Meet calls, it's probably because you or someone with access to your accounts has linked it.
Sub-heading: Checking and Disabling Otter.ai Chrome Extensions
Otter.ai offers a Chrome extension that can automatically join meetings. This is a common culprit.
Open Chrome Extensions:
Type
chrome://extensionsinto your Chrome browser's address bar and press Enter.Alternatively, click the three vertical dots (menu icon) in the top-right corner of Chrome, go to "Extensions," and then "Manage Extensions."
Locate and Disable/Remove Otter.ai:
Scroll through the list of your installed extensions.
Look for an extension named "Otter.ai" or "Otter.ai: Record and Transcribe Google Meet & Any Audio."
Once found, you have two options:
Toggle Off: Click the blue toggle switch to disable the extension. This will prevent it from running.
Remove: Click the "Remove" button if you want to completely uninstall the extension from your browser. This is the more permanent solution.
Confirm the removal if prompted.
Sub-heading: Revoking Otter.ai's Access to Your Google Account
If you've previously authorized Otter.ai to connect with your Google Calendar or Google account, it might be automatically joining meetings based on your schedule.
Tip: Focus on sections most relevant to you.
Go to your Google Account Security Settings:
Open your web browser and go to
myaccount.google.com In the left-hand navigation panel, click on "Security."
Manage Third-Party App Access:
Scroll down to the "Third-party apps with account access" section.
Click on "Manage third-party access."
Find and Remove Otter.ai:
You'll see a list of applications that have access to your Google account.
Locate "Otter.ai" (or a similar entry related to Otter).
Click on it, and then click "Remove Access" or "Remove All Access."
Confirm the removal when prompted.
Sub-heading: Disabling Auto-Join in Otter.ai Settings (If You Have an Account)
If you have an Otter.ai account, you can often control its auto-join behavior directly from its settings.
Sign in to your Otter.ai account: Go to
otter.ai Navigate to Account Settings:
Look for a gear icon (settings) or your profile picture, usually in the top-right or left-hand corner.
Click on it and select "Account Settings" or just "Settings."
Manage Meeting Settings/OtterPilot:
Within the settings, look for a section related to "Meetings," "OtterPilot," or "Integrations."
You should find an option to "Auto-join all meetings" or similar. Toggle this off.
Save your changes if there's a save button.
Step 3: Google Workspace Administrator Controls – Blocking Otter.ai Organization-Wide
If you are a Google Workspace administrator, you have more powerful tools to control which third-party apps can integrate with Google Meet and other Workspace services. This is the most effective way to prevent Otter.ai from joining meetings across your organization.
Sub-heading: Blocking Third-Party App Access via API Controls
This method prevents Otter.ai from accessing Google Workspace data through APIs, which is how many AI bots integrate.
Access the Google Admin Console:
Sign in to your Google Admin console (
admin.google.com
Navigate to API Controls:
From the Admin console homepage, go to Menu (☰) > Security > Access and data control > API controls.
Manage Third-Party App Access:
Under "App access control," click "MANAGE THIRD-PARTY APP ACCESS."
Add and Block Otter.ai:
You might see a list of configured or accessed apps.
To specifically block Otter.ai, you may need its OAuth2 client ID. A common ID associated with Otter.ai is
517439599553-aflp6g0o205nu5keqvl84hv9aa9rfv90.apps.googleusercontent.com.Click "Add app access" (or similar, depending on your Admin console version).
Select "OAuth App Name or Client ID."
Paste the Otter.ai client ID or search for "Otter.ai" if it appears as an app name.
Select "Blocked" for the access level.
You can apply this to your entire organization or specific Organizational Units (OUs).
Click "SAVE."
Sub-heading: Restricting Chrome Extensions at the Organizational Level
QuickTip: Pay close attention to transitions.
If your organization uses Chrome browsers, you can push policies to block specific extensions.
Access the Google Admin Console:
Sign in to your Google Admin console (
admin.google.com
Navigate to Device Management:
Go to Menu (☰) > Devices > Chrome > Apps & extensions > Users & browsers.
Manage Extension Settings:
Find the "Otter.ai" extension (you might need its ID, which can be found by looking at the extension in the Chrome Web Store).
Set its installation policy to "Blocked" or "Force install blocked."
Apply this policy to the desired organizational units.
Sub-heading: Implementing Waiting Rooms and Host Controls in Google Meet
While not a direct block of Otter.ai specifically, enabling strong host controls can help you police who enters your meetings.
Access the Google Admin Console:
Sign in to your Google Admin console (
admin.google.com
Navigate to Google Meet Settings:
Go to Menu (☰) > Apps > Google Workspace > Google Meet > Meet video settings.
Configure Host Controls:
Look for settings related to "Meeting safety," "Host controls," or "Joining access."
Enable features like:
Quick access / Restricted mode: Set this to "Restricted" by default so that only invited users can join directly. Anyone else will need to ask to join.
Participant management: This allows hosts to remove participants during a meeting. If an Otter.ai bot joins, you can manually remove it.
Step 4: Confirm It's Gone – Testing and Verification
After implementing any of the above steps, it's crucial to verify that Otter.ai is no longer joining your Google Meet calls.
Schedule a Test Meeting:
Create a brief Google Meet meeting (even a solo one if you're testing personal settings).
Monitor Participants:
Join the meeting and observe the participant list. Look carefully for any unfamiliar names or "bot" entries like "Otter.ai Notetaker" or similar.
Check for Transcriptions:
After the test meeting, check your Otter.ai account (if you have one) to ensure no new transcriptions were generated from that meeting.
If Otter.ai still appears, re-trace your steps and ensure all settings are correctly applied. For organizational blocks, it might take a short while for policies to propagate.
QuickTip: Pause when something clicks.
Related FAQ Questions:
How to know if Otter.ai is recording my Google Meet? You can often tell if Otter.ai is recording by checking the participant list in your Google Meet. It typically appears as a named participant, often with "Otter.ai Notetaker" or "OtterPilot" in its name. Additionally, Otter.ai might display a notification within the meeting or in the chat that it has joined and is transcribing.
How to stop Otter.ai from automatically joining all my meetings? To stop Otter.ai from automatically joining all your meetings, you need to disable the "Autojoin all meetings" setting within your Otter.ai account settings. You should also check and disable/remove any Otter.ai browser extensions and revoke its access from your Google account's security settings.
How to remove Otter.ai from a live Google Meet call? If Otter.ai has already joined a live Google Meet call, you, as the host, can remove it like any other participant. Simply click on its name in the participant list and select the option to "Remove from meeting" or "Block."
How to revoke Otter.ai's access to my Google Calendar?
To revoke Otter.ai's access to your Google Calendar, go to your Google Account security settings (
How to prevent all third-party AI bots from joining my Google Meet calls? For individual users, the best way is to revoke access from your Google account settings and disable/remove any related browser extensions. For Google Workspace administrators, you can block specific app IDs in the Google Admin Console's API controls and enforce stricter host controls in Google Meet.
How to communicate with meeting participants about using AI notetakers? Be open and direct. Before the meeting starts, state your policy on AI notetakers. You can say something like, "For privacy reasons, we kindly request that no AI transcription or recording bots are used during this meeting." This sets clear expectations.
How to check for browser extensions that might be transcribing meetings?
In Google Chrome, type chrome://extensions into the address bar. For other browsers, navigate to their respective add-ons or extensions manager (e.g., Firefox: about:addons, Safari: Preferences > Extensions). Review the list for any unfamiliar or suspicious extensions that might have recording permissions.
How to manage host controls in Google Meet to improve meeting security? As a Google Meet host, you can enable "Quick access" to "Restricted" mode in the meeting's host controls. This ensures that only invited participants can join directly, and others need to ask for permission, allowing you to screen for unwanted bots.
How to find the OAuth2 Client ID for Otter.ai to block it in Google Admin Console?
While you can often find common client IDs online (like 517439599553-aflp6g0o205nu5keqvl84hv9aa9rfv90.apps.googleusercontent.com for Otter.ai), a Google Workspace admin can also find accessed app IDs within the "API controls" section by reviewing the list of "Accessed apps."
How to ensure data privacy when using online meeting platforms? Beyond blocking AI bots, ensure you're using strong, unique passwords, enabling 2-Factor Authentication (2FA), regularly reviewing connected apps, understanding the privacy policies of the platforms you use, and being mindful of what sensitive information is shared during meetings.
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