Microsoft Teams can record office presence from December

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An update to the collaboration software Microsoft Teams, scheduled to roll out starting December 2025, could make working from home a challenge for some. The IT giant plans to use a new feature to record actual presence in the office building. Specifically, Teams will detect if the user has connected to the company's own Wi-Fi and automatically set the work location accordingly to the respective building.

Previously, Teams already offered the option to manually set the work location. This is intended, for example, to help colleagues orient themselves in a large office complex or on a campus. With the upcoming update, this process will be automated by the software determining – likely by comparing details such as the IP address or MAC address of the router – whether one is actually on-site.

This innovation, which the company announced on its current roadmap for the cloud-based office suite Microsoft 365, provides managers with a clear overview of where their employees are currently located. According to the roadmap, the feature is planned for both Windows and macOS. The tech portal Tom's Guide notes: For those who have found a haven of peace and productivity in their home office, the update represents a potential threat. Teams could function as a "snitch" in the future.

Technical details still unknown

Microsoft has clarified that the function will not be enabled by default initially. Activation ultimately lies with the IT managers within the company. End-user consent is required.

The debate about automated location detection is reminiscent of a tactic that Amazon employees, for example, used after the Corona pandemic. To circumvent the controversial return to the office, some tried to change the name of their private Wi-Fi (SSID) to match that of the official company network. Tom's Guide, however, assumes that an application like Microsoft Teams will see through this simple trick through verification mechanisms. The company has not yet revealed technical details about the implementation of the new function.

What about data protection?

The automatic recording of the work location raises data protection concerns. Although the function aims to simplify hybrid collaboration, the thought of constant monitoring worries many employees. Microsoft counters in the roadmap: the function cannot be activated secretly. Admins are not allowed to consent on behalf of the affected users.

The detection is based on the office's SSID, which technicians must enter into the system. The latter thus knows: connecting to this specific network means the employee is in a certain building. Microsoft Teams already uses geo-data for other functions such as emergency calls and improving call quality.

The outlined function only records the location in relation to the company Wi-Fi and sets the user's status to the deposited building. It is not designed to perform constant geolocation outside the work environment. Microsoft describes the function as "neutral." Critics, however, emphasize that the company's internal policy is crucial. If the feature is misused as a control instrument, it can undermine trust in the hybrid work model.

GDPR and Works Constitution Act

The function could fundamentally be compatible with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In any case, strict adherence to several conditions by the company wishing to use the feature would be necessary. Legal admissibility essentially depends on the consent of the employees and the purpose of data collection. The company must obtain the voluntary and informed consent of each individual employee. It may primarily use the function only to improve collaboration and not as a surveillance tool. Furthermore, transparency obligations must be met.

In Germany or a state with similar labor law that provides for co-determination rights, the company must conclude a work agreement. This is intended to prevent misuse of control. Without the voluntary consent of employees and clear rules for use, the function would likely violate applicable European and German data protection and labor law.

Corresponding company plans would primarily have to be examined from a labor law perspective, explains Niko Härting from the law firm of the same name in Berlin, to heise online: "This concerns the right to personal integrity in the workplace." Continuous tracking would likely be unlawful unless there is a compelling interest for the employer to justify such a profound infringement of fundamental rights. This could be the case, for example, in the logistics industry, the lawyer explains. If a works council exists, it would have to agree. Furthermore, data protection lawyers might doubt the voluntariness of consent if, for example, fears of job loss could play a role.

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