Draft for legal review. This is a plain-English draft that Vyvlio’s lawyer is still reviewing, so the wording may change. Words highlighted like this are details we have not confirmed yet.
The short version
- Everyone on a recorded call must agree, every time. We follow the strictest state rule everywhere.
- We ask when you book, and again out loud at the start of every call.
- Anyone can pause the recording or go “off the record” at any moment.
- Recordings are kept privately, used only to write your book, and deleted after it is finished.
The full text below is what counts. It’s written to be read, in plain English.
On this page (10 sections)
1. Why we record
A life story is told best in the storyteller’s own words: the way they phrase things, the little sayings, the laugh before the punchline. Recording the interviews lets our writers capture all of that faithfully, instead of relying on hurried notes. It also means your interviewer can simply listen.
2. What we record
- The recorded interviews included in your package, as audio and video.
- A written transcript made from each recording.
- We do not record the free discovery call to confirm. If we ever want to, for example to make sure we get your chapter plan right, we will ask first and only record if everyone agrees.
3. Everyone on the call agrees
Federal law and most states allow a conversation to be recorded when one person on it agrees. Some states require everyone on the call to agree. These “all-party consent” states include California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington, and a few others in certain situations.
Our storytellers and their families often live in different states, so we keep it simple and respectful: we follow the all-party rule everywhere. Every person on a recorded call must agree to the recording, every time.
4. How we ask for consent
1. When you book
When you book interviews on your family page, you confirm that you agree to the interviews being recorded, and that you will let anyone you invite to a call know it will be recorded. We keep a record of that confirmation with the date and time.
2. At the start of every call
Before the recording starts, your interviewer explains what is being recorded and why, and asks everyone on the call, out loud, whether they agree. The recording begins with that question and the answers, so the consent itself is recorded. The video call also shows that recording is on.
3. When someone new joins
If another family member joins partway through, the interviewer pauses, introduces them, and asks them too. If anyone says no, we stop recording while they are on the call.
5. Pausing, “off the record” and changing your mind
- Pause any time. Anyone on the call can ask to pause the recording. The interviewer stops it straight away and says when it starts again.
- Off the record. Anything said “off the record” is not used in the book.
- After the call. If the storyteller or family later wishes something had not been said, tell us. We remove it from the transcript and the book, and can delete that part of the recording.
- Withdrawing consent. You can withdraw consent to recording at any time. We stop recording, and can carry on with written notes instead, though the book may then capture fewer of the storyteller’s exact words.
6. Storytellers who need a little help
Some storytellers have memory difficulties or need help with technology. A family member is always welcome to sit beside them. Consent still comes from the storyteller whenever they are able to give it, in their own words.
If a storyteller seems unsure what is happening, confused or upset, the interviewer will stop the recording and check in, and will not continue recording unless the storyteller is comfortable. Where a family member holds legal authority to act for the storyteller, such as a power of attorney, please tell us before the first interview.
7. Who can hear the recordings
- Your interviewer, and the writer and editor working on your book.
- Our transcription and AI-assisted drafting providers, who process recordings under contract only to create transcripts and drafts for us.
- Your family: either contact on the family account can ask for a copy.
Recordings are never published, never sold, and never used in advertising or on our website without separate written permission.
8. How recordings are stored
Recordings and transcripts are kept in private, encrypted file storage in the United States. They are never publicly accessible. They open only through short-lived links for the people listed above, and access is limited to the team working on your book.
9. How long we keep them, and how they are deleted
- We keep recordings and transcripts until 90 days after your book is delivered, so we can make corrections you ask for.
- Before we delete them, we email you and offer a download link, so your family can keep the recordings if you wish.
- We then delete them from our storage and ask our providers to delete their copies. Backups are cleared within 35 days.
- You can ask us to delete recordings sooner at any time, or to keep them longer. Deleting them before the book is finished may delay the book.
To ask for a copy or for deletion, email hello@vyvlio.com. See our privacy policy for how we handle all other information.
10. Questions
If anything about recording makes you or your storyteller uneasy, please talk to us before the first interview. Email hello@vyvlio.com. We would much rather answer a question than have anyone worried.
