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Luxembourg Recording Laws: All-Party Consent, Penalties & AI Rules (2026)

By Recording Law Editorial TeamReviewed May 15, 202626 min read
Luxembourg Recording Laws: All-Party Consent, Penalties & AI Rules (2026)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record a phone call in Luxembourg if I am one of the participants?

No. Luxembourg follows an all-party consent rule. Even if you are a participant in the conversation, you cannot record it without the knowledge and agreement of every other party on the call. Doing so is a criminal offense under both the Act of 11 August 1982 (for private conversations) and the Act of 30 May 2005 (for electronic communications). Penalties include up to one year in prison and fines up to 125,000 euros.

What is the business exception for recording calls in Luxembourg?

The Act of 30 May 2005 allows companies to record telephone calls when the recording documents a commercial transaction such as an order, contract, or reservation. This exception requires advance notification to all parties, a clear statement of the recording purpose, and disclosure of the maximum retention period. It does not cover general business calls, complaint handling, or internal meetings that are unrelated to a specific commercial transaction.

Do Luxembourg recording laws apply to video surveillance and security cameras?

Yes. Video surveillance in Luxembourg must comply with the GDPR, CNPD guidelines, and (in workplaces) Labour Code Article L.261-1. Cameras must be visible and accompanied by signs that identify the controller, the purpose, and where individuals can exercise their rights. Recordings must generally be limited to images without sound and deleted within eight days, with an extended maximum of thirty days when justified. The CNPD has fined organizations for failing to meet these requirements.

What happens if I secretly record someone in Luxembourg and try to use the recording in court?

Recordings made without the consent of all parties are generally inadmissible as evidence in Luxembourg court proceedings. Beyond the evidentiary issue, the person who made the recording faces criminal prosecution under the 1982 Act, with penalties of up to one year in prison and fines up to 5,000 euros. A court may also order the destruction of the illegally obtained recording.

Are financial services companies in Luxembourg required to record phone calls?

Yes, under certain conditions. The Law of 30 May 2018, which transposed MiFID II into Luxembourg law, requires investment firms to record all telephone conversations and electronic communications that relate to client orders or could lead to transactions. These recordings must be stored for at least five years, and the CSSF may require retention of up to seven years. Clients must be informed at the start of each call that it is being recorded.

Can I record a police officer in Luxembourg?

Recording police in a publicly visible setting where no reasonable expectation of private conversation exists (such as filming an officer directing traffic on a public street) is not prohibited by the recording statutes, because those situations fall outside the protection of privately spoken words. However, recording a private conversation with an officer requires all-party consent under Luxembourg's general consent rules. The journalism exception in Luxembourg's GDPR implementation law permits journalists to record public officials performing public functions for reporting purposes. Individuals who are not acting as journalists and who covertly record private interactions with police risk prosecution under the Act of 11 August 1982.

Are deepfakes illegal in Luxembourg?

Luxembourg does not yet have a statute that explicitly names deepfakes, but existing criminal law applies. Using AI to fabricate a realistic recording or intimate image of an identifiable person without their consent can violate the right to private life under the Act of 11 August 1982 and may attract Code pénal liability. The EU AI Act's transparency obligations for AI-generated audio and video content take effect August 2, 2026. A proposed Luxembourg cyberviolences bill, approved by the government in April 2026 but not yet enacted, would add explicit criminal penalties for non-consensual distribution of deepfake sexual content.

Does Luxembourg's all-party consent rule apply to calls between Luxembourg and the United States?

Yes. When a call involves a Luxembourg-based participant and the call is connected or recorded in Luxembourg, the Act of 30 May 2005 applies. A US party that records the call under a US one-party consent standard does not escape Luxembourg law if the recording captures a Luxembourg party without their knowledge. Companies with EU headquarters or EU customer relationships must also apply GDPR processing rules to any recordings regardless of where recording servers are located.

Updates

Audit-and-evolve refresh. Preserved all existing H2s verbatim. Added: Recording Police and Public Officials (journalism exception, GDPR implementation law, public-life carve-out); Voyeurism and Intimate Recording (Code penal Art. 385ter enacted March 2021, basic/aggravated penalties, upskirting, recording-as-aggravating-factor); Deepfakes and AI-Generated Content (EU AI Act Art. 50 transparency obligations Aug 2026, Bill 8476 CNPD as AI authority, April 2026 cyberviolences bill proposal framed as pending); Cross-Border Recording as EU Hub (GDPR Art. 3 extraterritoriality, CNPD as lead supervisory authority, international call implications). Fixed Amazon tribunal date to March 13 2025. Updated Code penal URL to 20251219 consolidated version. Added Draft Law 8498 MiFID II update note. KeyTakeaways expanded 5 to 7 bullets. FAQ expanded 5 to 8 pairs. Penalties table gained Art. 385ter rows. Word count 2,847 to ~6,307. Citations 14 to 20.

Sources and References

  1. Loi du 11 aout 1982 concernant la protection de la vie privee(legilux.public.lu).gov
  2. Loi modifiee du 30 mai 2005 (ePrivacy Directive transposition)(legilux.public.lu).gov
  3. Coordinated English text of the Act of 30 May 2005 (CNPD)(cnpd.public.lu).gov
  4. Code penal du Luxembourg (consolidated to 19 December 2025)(legilux.public.lu).gov
  5. Code d'instruction criminelle (Articles 88-1 to 88-4)(legilux.public.lu).gov
  6. CNPD - National Data Protection Commission(cnpd.public.lu).gov
  7. CNPD - National Legislation Overview(cnpd.public.lu).gov
  8. CNPD - Videosurveillance Guidelines(cnpd.public.lu).gov
  9. CNPD - Labour Code Article L.261-1(cnpd.public.lu).gov
  10. CNPD - ePrivacy Provisions for Electronic Communications(cnpd.public.lu).gov
  11. CNPD Decision on Amazon Europe Core (746M upheld March 13 2025)(cnpd.public.lu).gov
  12. CNPD - AI Act: new obligations in force from 2 August 2025(cnpd.public.lu).gov
  13. CSSF - Markets in Financial Instruments (MiFID II/MiFIR)(cssf.lu).gov
  14. CSSF - Law of 30 May 2018 (MiFID II transposition, consolidated)(cssf.lu).gov
  15. CIRCL TR-44 - Information Security Laws in Luxembourg(circl.lu).gov
  16. Luxembourg Government - April 2026 Cyberviolences Draft Law Communication(gouvernement.lu).gov
  17. EU AI Act Article 50 - Transparency Obligations(artificialintelligenceact.eu)
  18. Pinsent Masons - Luxembourg law addresses EU AI Act enforcement (Bill 8476)(pinsentmasons.com)
  19. BSP Luxembourg - MiFID II / MiFIR Draft Law 8498 (2025)(bsp.lu)
  20. White and Case - GDPR Guide to National Implementation: Luxembourg(whitecase.com)
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