For the past year, Microsoft has announced a feature for Teams that would allow the software to automatically determine the location of users and derive their presence in the office from it. The introduction of the controversial feature has already been postponed. Now Microsoft is postponing the release date again, but specifies the current month of June as the release period.
This can be seen from the updated post in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center (MC1081568, copy at merill.net). If users are connected to the corporate WLAN, Teams can automatically log them in as present in a building, for example, once the option is introduced. “This makes it easier for users to coordinate work with their coworkers and connect in person,” the company explains.
Privacy concerns
The feature caused heated discussions as it potentially undermines privacy protection. However, Microsoft clarifies that the feature remains deactivated by default for all tenants. Admins must activate and configure it first. Even after that, end-users remain in control and can choose whether this information is shared with other employees. The feature is also initially intended to be rolled out in Teams for macOS and Windows. Teams will not update the location if employees connect after official working hours, which can be set within Teams or the Outlook calendar. Location entries will also be deleted outside working hours.
