Skype now lets users record their video calls

Any Skype call you make can, from now on, be recorded by other people on the line. Users will get a notification that their conversation is being saved. — dpa

The latest version of Skype for PCs, Macs and mobile devices allows users to record video calls – useful if you want to capture a special moment with loved ones or document an important meeting with colleagues.

However, there are some ethical and legal issues to be considered. As soon as someone on a call starts recording, everyone in the call is notified that it's being recorded – whether on the desktop and mobile version.

The video of everyone on the chat and any shared screens are captured and the recording is then available to be saved locally or shared by anyone in the chat for the next 30 days.

However, it's wise not to rely solely on this notification, but to ask everyone for their consent before the recording begins, says Michael Terhaag, a lawyer in Germany.

Skype, for its part, is trying to prevent users from getting into legal troubles with a notification that you should "avoid legal snags by telling people they're being recorded".

Of course, recording is one thing, distribution and publication is another. Terhaag says it's not ok to forward a recording to a third party without first getting the consent of the people who were recorded in the call. Depending on the country, they could even claim damages if a recording is distributed without their consent. – dpa