Microsoft Teams will soon begin rolling out a new location-tracking feature that may come as bad news to those who like working from home. A simple Microsoft 365 Roadmap update will now allow Teams to track a worker’s location using the office Wi-Fi in a move that has raised concerns about the future of remote work and increased workplace surveillance.
This update, which will begin rolling out in December 2025, has raised concerns about the way hybrid workers are monitored by their organizations.
Microsoft’s description
“When users connect to their organization's Wi-Fi, Teams will soon be able to automatically update their work location to reflect the building they're working from. This feature will be off by default,” reads the official description of the update by Microsoft.
Microsoft said that tenant admins will decide whether to enable it and require end-users to opt-in. The feature will be available both on Windows and macOS,
Employees unhappy
Microsoft says it’s meant to clear up confusion about who’s working where — but critics see it as another surveillance tool that helps organizations at the cost of employees. For those who’ve built a rhythm of working from home, the new location-tracking update may feel more like a digital leash.
Reactions on social media seemed to reflect this sentiment.
{{/usCountry}}Reactions on social media seemed to reflect this sentiment.
{{/usCountry}}“So now even Microsoft Teams is turning into an attendance monitor. What’s next — Teams asking for a doctor’s note when we take a day off?” wrote X user @sarvanhindustan.
X user Akash Soni also questioned the need for this feature, writing: “Micro management at peak? All online work doesn’t need you to be in office, we can do it from home instead of providing flexibility they are micromanaging this will backfire?”
One person called it an example of “more technology, less trust”.
(Also read: CEO's ‘special warning’ to employee for taking WFH without permission: ‘It is not our culture’)