Is Fireflies AI Safe? The No BS Truth
You're in a Zoom call when suddenly "Fred from Fireflies" joins the meeting. That little bot starts recording everything you say, transcribing your conversation, and promising to send you a nice summary afterward.
It's incredibly convenient. Until you start wondering: where do all those recordings actually go? And what exactly is Fireflies doing with them?
We decided to find out.
What Is Fireflies AI?
Fireflies AI is a cloud-based service that automatically joins your video calls as a bot participant. It records everything, transcribes the conversation, and uses AI to create summaries and insights. The bot integrates with popular platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.
Sounds helpful, but there's a catch - everything gets processed on Fireflies' servers, not your device. Your conversations become their data.
What does Fireflies actually do with your data?
I went through their privacy policy and terms of service so you don't have to and here’s what I found.
1. They're collecting everything about you
Your meetings and more:
Complete audio recordings of every conversation
Full transcripts and meeting summaries
Your calendar data and scheduling details
Information about everyone who attended
Your personal details:
Name, company, email, home address, phone number
Account passwords and login information
Payment and billing data
Your digital footprint:
Your exact location (yes, really)
Your device IDs and MAC address
What you search for and click on
Your network information and browsing habits
Access to your other accounts:
When you connect Google Calendar or other services, Fireflies can access and store "any content that you have provided to and stored in your Third-Party Account" - including your contact lists.
2. The fine print that should worry you
They're not responsible if their AI messes up: Their terms explicitly say that while they use AI to process your conversations, "Fireflies is not liable for any loss or harm resulting from the user's use of AI." If something goes wrong with how they handle your data, you're on your own.
Your data becomes theirs forever: Fireflies keeps "all rights to aggregated and anonymous data derived from your use of the Service" with no expiration date. Even if they can't identify you personally, they own insights from your conversations permanently.
They share your data widely: Your information gets shared with their business partners, service providers, any company that might buy Fireflies in the future, or government authorities if they think it's necessary. Pretty much anyone they deem relevant to their business
You're legally responsible for everything: Here's the kicker - their terms say "You are responsible for compliance with all recording laws." If you accidentally record someone without consent, that's your legal problem, not theirs.
This becomes especially problematic when users can't actually control when Fireflies records (more on that nightmare later) - you're still legally liable even if their bot shows up uninvited.
3. Their liability? Basically nothing
Even if Fireflies completely screws up and causes major damage, their maximum liability is capped at either what you paid them in the last six months or $100 - whichever is less.
Think about that. Your confidential business meeting gets leaked, costs you a major client, and Fireflies owes you... maybe $100.
Why privacy concerns are users facing with Fireflies AI?
The privacy policy issues aren't just theoretical. Real users are reporting some pretty concerning problems:
1. It won't go away
Multiple people report that Fireflies keeps showing up in their meetings even after they:
Deactivated their accounts
Tried to uninstall it
Asked their IT department for help
Explicitly requested it to stop recording
One user described it perfectly: "Trying to shut it up/switch it off is like trying to remove a deer tick from your leg - messy and painful."
2. It shares transcripts with people who never signed up
Users report that Fireflies automatically sends meeting summaries to everyone on the calendar invite - including:
People who never consented to being recorded
External clients and partners
Former employees who still have access to recurring meetings
Anyone who happened to be invited but didn't even attend
3. It installs itself without permission
Several users report that just by joining a meeting where someone else used Fireflies, the software somehow installed itself on their computers and started recording their future meetings without their knowledge.
Should I trust Fireflies with sensitive information?
It depends on what you're discussing.
Definitely avoid Fireflies for:
Healthcare discussions with patient information
Legal meetings requiring attorney-client privilege
Financial services conversations with client data
Any government or defense-related discussions
International calls with people protected by GDPR
Client consultations involving confidential business information
Use extreme caution for:
Internal team meetings with sensitive company information
Job interviews or HR discussions
Sales calls with prospect data
Executive or board-level conversations
Use for:
Public webinars or presentations
Non-confidential training sessions
Casual team social meetings
But even then, remember that everyone in the meeting needs to consent to being recorded, and you're legally responsible if they don't.
Is there a safer Fireflies alternative?
If you need AI-powered meeting transcription but don't want to hand over your conversations to a cloud service, there's a better way.
Meet Hyprnote: Privacy-first meeting intelligence
Hyprnote is what Fireflies should have been - an AI notepad that actually respects your privacy.
Here's the key difference: Hyprnote is the only truly local-first AI notetaker. While Fireflies sends everything to the cloud, Hyprnote processes your conversations completely on your Mac using on-device AI models. Not a single byte of your conversation data ever leaves your computer.
Check out our Fireflies AI Alternatives article for a detailed Hyprnote vs Fireflies review.
How Hyprnote keeps you safe:
1. Complete local processing:
Uses on-device AI models for transcription (Whisper series)
Custom HyperLLM-V1 model for summaries (just 1.1GB)
No cloud dependency for core functions
Your conversations literally never leave your machine
2. Universal compatibility without bots:
Works with any meeting platform (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, etc.)
No bot joining your meetings
Records both your microphone and system audio directly
Perfect for in-person meetings too
3. You control your data:
Export to Markdown, PDF, or rich text
Integrate with tools you already use (Obsidian, Attio)
Connect to any AI provider you choose (OpenAI, Mistral, custom endpoints)
No vendor lock-in
4. Built for compliance:
Meets HIPAA, GDPR, SOX, and other privacy requirements
Perfect for healthcare, legal, and financial professionals
No third-party data processors involved
Complete audit trail stays local
5. Enterprise-ready:
On-premises deployment options
SSO integration and user management
Custom branding available
Consent management built-in
What Hyprnote collects (for full transparency):
Unlike Fireflies' extensive data harvesting, Hyprnote collects minimal, anonymous usage data that you can completely opt out of:
Optional analytics: Anonymous session IDs and feature usage patterns (via PostHog) - disable in Settings
Optional crash reports: Error traces to fix bugs (via Sentry) - disable in Settings
Website interactions: If you use live chat or submit feedback on their website
Payment info: Only for paid users, processed securely through Stripe
What Hyprnote never collects:
Your recordings, transcripts, or notes
Meeting participant information
Your conversations or meeting content
Your personal files or documents
Check Hyprnote’s Privacy Poilcy
Final Verdict: Is Fireflies AI Safe?
Fireflies AI might seem convenient, but convenience comes at a steep privacy cost. Between their extensive data collection, broad sharing permissions, minimal liability, and documented issues with user control, it's just not worth the risk for most business conversations.
If you need AI-powered meeting assistance, choose a solution that keeps your data where it belongs, with you. Hyprnote proves you don't have to sacrifice privacy for functionality.
Your conversations are valuable. Don't give them away for free.