End-to-end encryption (E2EE)
A property where only the communicating endpoints can read the content - the service operator cannot. Common in messaging, rarely true for meeting notetakers.
End-to-end encryption is a guarantee that data is encrypted on the sender's device, transits through any intermediary servers in ciphertext, and is decrypted only on the recipient's device. Signal, iMessage, and FaceTime are the canonical examples; the operator cannot read the content even under legal compulsion.
Most cloud meeting notetakers (Otter, Fireflies, Fathom) are not end-to-end encrypted by this definition: they decrypt the audio in their own infrastructure to run ASR and AI, which means the operator has access to the plaintext. Mac Note Taker sidesteps the question entirely by never sending the audio off the Mac in the first place - this is sometimes called 'no-cloud' or 'local-first', a stronger guarantee than E2EE because there is no third party in the path at all.
Related terms
- On-device ↗Processing that happens entirely on the user's hardware - no cloud, no network round-trip, no third-party data processor.
- HIPAA ↗US law governing protected health information. Cloud notetakers handling clinical audio require a Business Associate Agreement; local-only flows do not.
- GDPR ↗EU regulation governing personal-data processing. Recording a meeting requires a lawful basis and disclosure; local-only storage simplifies residency.