Microsoft has confirmed a controversial new feature coming to Teams that will automatically reveal employee work locations by detecting which Wi-Fi networks they connect to raising significant concerns about workplace surveillance and hybrid work policies.
The feature, documented in Microsoft’s 365 Roadmap and Admin Centre (Message ID MC1081568), will automatically set users’ work location when they connect to their organisation’s Wi-Fi networks or mapped office peripherals.
Originally scheduled for January 2026, Microsoft has twice delayed the rollout first to February, then to March 2026 though no official reason was provided for the postponement.
The feature is now expected to begin rolling out in early March 2026 and complete deployment by mid-March.
The update applies exclusively to Teams for Windows desktop and Teams for Mac desktop platforms.
How the Feature Works
When employees connect to corporate Wi-Fi, Teams will automatically update their work location to reflect the specific building they’re working in.
Conversely, when users are not connected to organizational networks, this absence will be visible, effectively exposing remote work arrangements that may violate hybrid policies.
Microsoft has implemented several guardrails: the feature will not update location information after working hours, and work location data will be cleared at the end of each workday.
However, these protections may offer limited reassurance to employees concerned about surveillance, as reported by Forbes.
While Microsoft emphasizes that the feature “will be off by default” and requires user opt-in, the critical decision rests with tenant administrators who control whether to enable the feature and mandate employee participation.
This administrative override substantially undermines the voluntary nature of the system.
Microsoft states the feature “requires admin configuration” and is positioned as an optional tool to improve location accuracy.
Users can theoretically choose whether to share their work location with coworkers, though organizational pressure may limit genuine choice.
The controversy centers on what Dr. Kate Barker, Chief Futurist at NEOM, describes as “a referendum on trust in hybrid work”.
While automatic location setting reduces manual administrative burden what Barker calls “coordination tax” it simultaneously introduces surveillance mechanisms that could transform from collaboration tools into attendance enforcement systems.
UC Today warns that enterprises must define “purpose, access, and acceptable use” before deployment, noting that data collected for collaboration can drift into performance management or internal investigations.
Without clear governance frameworks, the feature risks creating workplace friction rather than reducing it.
Organizations implementing this capability should establish cross-functional policies involving IT, HR, workplace teams, and security to determine appropriate use cases and explicit limitations.
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