How ElevenLabs Uses Your Audio Data

ElevenLabs faces significant compliance challenges when it comes to handling audio data, particularly for companies embedding its technology into production voice products. The company's data retention policies and privacy controls vary across plan tiers, with the Enterprise tier offering more robust options such as Zero Retention Mode, which minimizes data retention but excludes certain workflows like voice cloning. For non-Enterprise users, data is often used for model training by default, unless proactively opted out, and even then, past data may still be used. ElevenLabs positions itself as a data processor, shifting key compliance responsibilities, including consent and biometric data classification, onto its users, creating potential compliance gaps under laws like GDPR and Illinois BIPA. The article emphasizes the importance of understanding ElevenLabs' data handling practices, from subprocessor notifications to HIPAA compliance conditions, and offers strategies for reducing privacy exposure through careful architecture and consent management, particularly for B2B2B companies whose users' voices constitute the data being processed.