Voice Cloning Policy

Current availability#

Voice cloning is not currently available in Ethen. Ethen does not currently let users create a synthetic copy of a real person's voice from a recording.

Ethen Studio includes a voice-creation capability that is being developed. Cloning a voice from a sample depends on uploading a recording, which is not available for this purpose today. If voice cloning is made available, this policy will be updated first to describe exactly how it works. The rules below will apply from the moment it is.

Two kinds of synthetic voice#

• Original synthetic voices are voices generated from a description or from a model's built-in voices, such as "a calm, low voice with a slight accent". They are not intended to sound like a specific real person.
• Cloned voices are voices created to sound like a specific real person, usually from recordings of that person.

Most of this policy concerns cloned voices. An original voice that is deliberately made to imitate a real person counts as a cloned voice under this policy.

Rights and consent#

You may create or use a cloned voice only if:

• it is your own voice; or
• you have the explicit, informed consent of the person whose voice it is. That consent must cover creating the voice, the purposes you will use it for, the kinds of content it will speak, and the providers that will process it.

For a person who has died, you need permission from whoever controls their rights under the applicable law. Obtain consent before you create the voice. Keep a record of it, and respect any limits the person sets.

Consent from a person who is not free to refuse is not valid consent under this policy. That includes an employee asked by a manager, or anyone pressured to agree.

What a valid consent record should include

When you obtain consent to clone someone's voice, keep a written or recorded record that shows:

• who gave consent, and how you confirmed their identity;
• the date it was given;
• what the voice may be used for, and what it may not be used for;
• whether the consent covers commercial use, and for how long;
• that the person knows which provider will process their recordings;
• how they can withdraw consent.

Keep the record for as long as you use the voice, and for a reasonable period afterwards.

Declared consent versus verified consent#

Ethen does not verify consent. When a voice-creation feature asks you to confirm consent, Ethen records what you declared and when. Ethen does not check:

• the identity of the person whose voice is being cloned;
• whether that person actually gave consent;
• what that consent covers.

You are responsible for the truth of your declaration, and you must be able to show the consent if asked. Declaring consent you do not have is a serious violation of this policy. If Ethen introduces identity or consent verification, this policy will say so and describe it.

Prohibited uses#

Do not create or use a synthetic voice, cloned or not, to:

• impersonate a real person in a way that could mislead the people who hear it;
• commit fraud, such as voice-phishing ("vishing"), fake emergency calls, payment-authorization scams, or bypassing voice-based security checks;
• deceive people about what someone said, including fabricated statements, interviews, confessions or evidence;
• create sexual or intimate content using a real person's voice without their explicit consent;
• harass, threaten, defame or humiliate anyone;
• interfere with elections or civic processes, for example through fake statements by candidates or officials, or misleading robocalls;
• violate any law on voice, likeness, publicity, privacy, telemarketing, or recording consent.

Public figures#

Do not clone the voice of a public figure, such as a politician, celebrity, journalist or executive, unless you have their documented consent. Clearly identified parody or commentary using an original voice that evokes a public figure must still not be likely to deceive listeners into thinking the person really spoke.

Minors#

Do not clone the voice of anyone under 18. Do not use any synthetic voice to depict or impersonate a real minor.

Disclosure#

When you publish or deploy speech made with a cloned voice, make clear that it is synthetic wherever listeners would otherwise assume they are hearing the real person, and wherever the law or a platform's rules require disclosure. Do not use a cloned voice in phone calls, voice messages or live interactions without telling the people involved that they are hearing a synthetic voice.

Before you create a cloned voice#

Check each of the following before creating a cloned voice:

1. The voice is yours, or you have the consent described above, and you have kept a record of it.
2. The person is an adult.
3. Your intended use is not prohibited by this policy or by the Acceptable Use Policy.
4. You know where and how the voice will be used, and you have a plan to disclose that it is synthetic.
5. The recordings you will use were made with the person's knowledge.
6. You are prepared to stop using the voice, and to delete it, if consent is withdrawn.

If you cannot confirm all six, do not create the voice.

Revocation#

The person whose voice was cloned can withdraw consent. When consent is withdrawn:

• stop creating new content with the voice, and delete the voice in Ethen;
• revoke the consent record in Ethen, which stops the voice from being used for new generations;
• consider whether content already published should be taken down, and respect any request from the person to remove it.

If you are the person whose voice was cloned and you cannot reach the person who created it, contact us through the contact options in the Legal & Trust Center.

Exports#

Audio you export from Ethen leaves Ethen's control. These rules continue to apply to how you use that audio. Do not share a cloned voice model, or enough of its output, to let others impersonate the person.

Provider processing#

When voice creation is available, the recordings, consent details and text used to create and run a voice will be processed by the voice model's provider. In Ethen Studio, that is fal, under its terms. Generated speech is stored in your Ethen project like other media. The Subprocessors list and the Data Retention Policy have details.

Enforcement and reporting#

Ethen may refuse to create or use a voice where a request appears to violate this policy, and may remove voices and content, revoke access and suspend Accounts as described in the Acceptable Use Policy. Fraud, threats and content involving minors may be reported to law enforcement.

To report a cloned or synthetic voice used without consent, or used to deceive, contact us through the contact options in the Legal & Trust Center. Include a link or recording if you have one, the person whose voice is involved, and how you are connected to them.