Understanding Session Replay: Legal Risks And How To Mitigate Them

Hashed & Salted | A Privacy and Data Security Update

In an increasingly data-driven digital landscape, businesses are constantly seeking tools to better understand and optimize user experiences. One such tool is session replay—a powerful technology that allows organizations to observe how users interact with their websites or apps in real time. However, while session replay can offer significant benefits, it also introduces serious legal risks, particularly concerning user privacy. Here's what businesses need to know.

Session replay tools record real-time user interactions on a website or mobile app. These tools track mouse movements, clicks, scrolls, keystrokes and page views to create a visual log—or "replay"—of a user's journey. These tools often rely on cookies and tracking technologies to capture user behavior. However, this form of surveillance has triggered growing scrutiny under privacy laws like the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA).