Web Conferencing Technology Use

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Policy Number:
UW-525
Responsible Office:
Division of Information Technology (DoIT)

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

Web conferencing technologies can record, retain, and summarize a session’s content, including audio, visual, attendee list, and chat. Variations in technology capabilities and security create the need for information that can guide end-user tool choice and use.

A primary goal of this policy is to reduce technical, legal, privacy, and reputational risk that could impact UW–Madison’s operational mission (e.g., instruction, research, outreach). This policy supports compliance with applicable legal, contractual, and institutional obligations to meet the need for safe and secure use, recording, archiving, or rebroadcast of interactions in web conference sessions (e.g., meetings, lectures, laboratory sessions).

Definitions:
Recording
The act of capturing or saving any of the session components (e.g., video, audio, chat content).
Session attendee
Any person who joins or causes an AI meeting assistant to join a web conferencing session, regardless of active participation in discussions or other meeting activities.
Session host
The person who has called or is in charge of a web conferencing session.
Technology service owner
The UW-Madison person, group, or unit providing technology for UW-Madison business purposes.
Web conferencing session
An online real-time audio and/or video interaction (e.g., webinar, web meeting) where people conduct UW–Madison business.
Scope:

This policy applies to:

  • All use of web conferencing technologies by members of the UW–Madison community, whether as a session host or attendee. This use includes any tools that capture web conferencing sessions through recordings, transcripts, and summaries.
  • Web conferencing technologies that generate, collect, store, maintain, transmit, or record institutional data (as defined in UW-523 Institutional Data), regardless of system and application manager, owner, or location.
Policy:
  1. All persons must comply with all laws, policies, procedures, and standards applicable to web conferencing technology use and session content recording, transcription, and summarization, including those established by schools, colleges, divisions, and university-level operational units (e.g., Office of Human Resources; Facilities Planning & Management).
  2. Session attendees must notify the host of their intent to:
    1. Record, transcribe, or summarize the session, or
    2. Cause an AI meeting assistant to join the web conferencing session.
  3. UW–Madison session hosts must, when applicable:
    1. Notify session attendees that a session will be recorded, transcribed, or summarized and
    2. Allow only AI meeting assistants approved for use at UW–Madison, based on general content and data classification
  4. UW–Madison session attendees must not share sensitive or restricted UW–Madison data with another institution or entity without appropriate authority or institutional approval from those who govern the data and activity. Appropriate authority or institutional approval is specifically required to share this data when:
    1. A web conferencing session is hosted or provided by another institution or entity or
    2. Recordings, transcriptions, or summaries of a web conferencing session will be retained by another institution or entity.
  5. The technology service owner must maintain documentation that demonstrates a tool’s use, features, capabilities, and artifact storage such that compliance with applicable laws and policies can be determined.
  6. UW–Madison governance groups, committees, and university-level operational units (e.g., Human Resources; Facilities Planning & Management) may develop and approve applicable procedures, standards, and guidelines to aid in the implementation and enablement of this policy.
  7. All web conferencing session content that is available to more than one person may be considered a university record subject to applicable policy.
  8. Violations of this policy may result in consequences (e.g., audits, fines, breach notification obligations, disciplinary action, civil or criminal liability). Charges and costs incurred as a result of a violation may be charged to the entity responsible for the violation
Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:
External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Chief Information Officer & Vice Provost for Information Technology
Policy Manager:
Chief Information Security Officer
Contact:
IT Policy Writer and Analyst -- Heather Johnston, HEATHER.JOHNSTON@WISC.EDU
Effective Date:
04-01-2021
Date Issued:
03-16-2020
Revised Dates:

08-15-2024

Retrieved:
03-20-2025 08:01:33