Official documentation
Data, privacy, and security for Speech to text
Microsoft, Microsoft Learn, 2026
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- Microsoft's documentation of how Azure AI Speech to text handles customer audio and transcripts for real-time and batch transcription.
- How much weight it carries
- Official product documentation for the Azure business service, not for consumer Windows dictation. Terms can change, so check the live page.
Facts taken from this source
- When Azure batch transcription output is stored in Microsoft storage, you can delete it with a deletion API or set the timeToLive parameter so it is deleted automatically after a set time.
“customers may delete the data either by calling a deletion API or setting the timeToLive parameter to automatically delete the data in a specified time” (How does speech to text process data? Batch transcription)
- Microsoft documents that for real-time speech to text in Azure, audio is processed only in server memory and no data is stored at rest.
“For real-time speech to text, audio input is processed only on the Azure's server memory, and no data is stored at rest” (Real-time speech to text)
- Microsoft says that in batch transcription the customer chooses where the audio and transcripts are stored, and controls their retention.
“The customer controls the storage of this data, including the retention of such data.” (How does speech to text process data? Batch transcription)
- Microsoft says a customer can set a retention time for generated transcription text files with a parameter called timeToLive.
“Customers may set a retention time for generated transcription text files by using a parameter called "timeToLive".” (How does speech to text process data? Batch transcription)
- Microsoft says audio of people speaking and its transcripts may be considered personal data or sensitive data under various privacy regulations and laws.
“audio data of humans speaking and the related text transcripts may be considered personal data and/or sensitive data under various privacy regulations and laws” (Introduction)
Pages that rest on this source
- Does Azure speech to text store your data?Question
- Speech to Text Privacy: Where Your Voice GoesTopic
- Speech-to-Text APIs Compared: Price, Accuracy, SpeedGuide
- Voice Data Retention: What Apple, Google and Microsoft KeepGuide
- Copilot Voice and Dictation on WindowsGuide
- Dictation for Lawyers: Privilege and ConfidentialityGuide
- Windows Dictation Privacy and Online Speech RecognitionGuide
- Do cloud speech-to-text APIs store your audio?Question
- How do you use the Azure Speech-to-Text API?Question
- Is voice to text GDPR compliant?Question
- Zero data retention (ZDR)Glossary
- Is Your Voice Biometric Data? GDPR, BIPA and CCPAGuide
- How to Transcribe an Interview: Audio to TextGuide
- Does speech to text collect biometric data?Question
- Is a voice recording personal data under GDPR?Question