Microsoft’s RTO mandate suspiciously aligns with Teams’ controversial Wi-Fi location tracking — coincidence or micromanaging?

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Last October, I wrote about a new feature in Microsoft Teams that automatically updates a user’s location. It does this by detecting when a device connects to the office Wi-Fi network. Microsoft explained that the feature, listed as 488800 on their roadmap, would set a user’s work location to the building they’re currently in when connected to the company’s Wi-Fi.

The company has subtly altered the feature, so it now appears to be turned off unless users specifically enable it. This change happened after users complained, and here’s how Microsoft now describes the feature:

As an analyst, I’m following a new Teams update that will automatically detect a user’s work location when they connect to their company’s Wi-Fi, showing which building they’re in. It’s important to note this won’t be turned on automatically; IT admins will control whether it’s enabled for everyone, and individual users may still need to give their permission before it starts working.

MakeUseOf asked Microsoft about the recent controversy and changes to the feature’s description, but the company offered little explanation. Microsoft simply stated that the M365 Roadmap contains the most up-to-date information and that they had nothing further to add.

Many users expressed strong dissatisfaction with the recent changes made to Teams. One reader even wrote, “Time to break up with Microsoft, boycott Windows 11 and Teams.” Another suggested tech support professionals should intentionally allow the system to fail, freeing coworkers from what they see as corporate surveillance.

Microsoft has delayed the full release of this feature from December 2025 to January 2026. They’ve also confirmed it will be disabled by default when it launches.

Teams’s location tracking feature lines up with Microsoft’s RTO agenda

The early days of COVID-19 caused widespread disruption, pushing most organizations to quickly adopt remote and hybrid work models to protect employees. This led to a huge increase in the use of collaboration and productivity tools – like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Workspace – to help everyone adjust.

Microsoft had an advantage because it included Teams with Office 365, making its package more appealing than competitors’. This practice has drawn attention, and Salesforce’s Slack accused Microsoft of unfair business tactics, leading to investigations by antitrust regulators.

Facing significant pressure, the company decided to separate Teams from its Office 365 package, avoiding a large fine from European regulators. Now, users will need to buy a separate Teams license for around $5.50 (€5) each month, even if they already pay for Office 365 or Microsoft 365.

Microsoft revealed plans in September to bring employees back to the office, believing that in-person collaboration boosts productivity. Starting by the end of February 2026, employees who live within 50 miles of a Microsoft office will need to work on-site at least three days a week.

Lots of people have expressed concerns about the new feature, which has proven controversial. Microsoft has responded by pointing out that it’s turned off by default and users have to actively choose to enable it, which has helped ease some worries.

It’s a bit of a guess, but Microsoft could potentially use Teams to monitor how well employees are performing and to check if those within 50 miles of the office are following the return-to-office policy. Only time will tell if this happens.

FAQ

What is Microsoft Teams’ new controversial feature?

Reports surfaced in October that Microsoft is developing a Teams feature to share employees’ precise locations with their managers when connected to the office Wi-Fi.

When will the Teams location tracking feature ship?

Originally, this feature was planned for release in December 2025. However, Microsoft has updated the schedule, and it will now be available in January 2026.

Is the Teams location tracking feature enabled by default?

At first, the details weren’t clear, but the updated announcement now specifies that this feature will be optional. It seems users will need to actively choose to enable it, as it won’t be turned on automatically.

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2025-12-04 18:11