Microsoft Teams Wi‑Fi location feature draws privacy backlash
Mar 2nd 2026
A Teams feature that marks employees as onsite when their device joins office Wi‑Fi drew strong privacy complaints, prompting Microsoft to quietly alter the feature amid calls for clearer opt-out and admin controls.
- Teams can automatically update a user work location when a device connects to a corporate Wi‑Fi network.
- Users say the feature lets managers view live location without explicit requests, prompting widespread privacy concerns online.
- Microsoft quietly changed how the feature works after the complaints, but it has not published full details of that change.
- Some users say similar telemetry already exists in Microsoft products and are unbothered, while others demand opt-out or stronger admin controls.
- Workarounds reported by users include using a wired connection, avoiding Teams on phones, or disabling location features where possible.