Microsoft Teams could be the new office spy, thanks to a soon-to-be-rolled feature that tracks a worker’s location.
The update, scheduled for December, will allow Microsoft’s communications platform to automatically detect when an employee arrives at the office by monitoring their connection to the building’s Wi-Fi. If you’re working on-site and go out, Teams will automatically change your workplace once it notices you’ve signed out.
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This seems a bit unsettling, but according to Microsoft’s 365 roadmap, the feature will be disabled by default. However, tenant admins will have the option to enable it and require users to opt-in, meaning your boss will still be able to decide the extent to which Teams monitors you.
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On the one hand, it could be convenient for managers who don’t want to wander around the office looking for colleagues. On the other hand, as the return-to-office trend continues, it also gives employers an easy way to see who’s actually showing up. Details on how the feature precisely determines your location are vague, but a similar Amazon policy sparked backlash when employees spoofed their home’s Wi-Fi SSID to mimic the company’s network. Don’t expect this trick to work this time.
The location tracker is just one of several new Teams features rolling out soon, alongside the ability to save messages in chats and customizable keyboard shortcuts.
