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

In October, I reported on a new and controversial feature shipping to Microsoft Teams, which automatically updates a user's location when they connect their device to an office Wi-Fi network. At the time, Microsoft described the feature, tagged 488800 in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, as follows: "When users connect to their organization's Wi-Fi, Teams will automatically set their work location to reflect the building they are working in."

However, the company quietly changed how the feature works, suggesting that it's actually disabled by default, making it more of an opt-in experience. Here's the new description of the feature after Microsoft modified it following user backlash:

MakeUseOf reached out to Microsoft for a comment about the controversial feature and the recent changes to its description, but the company didn't provide any insightful information. “Thank you for reaching out. The M365 Roadmap reflects the latest information; otherwise, Microsoft has nothing to share," Microsoft concluded.

It's apparent that most users weren't too thrilled about the controversial tweak shipping to Teams. "Time to break up with Microsoft, boycott Windows 11 and teams," one our readers lamented. "Tech support guys unite, let it break and free your fellow coworkers from corporate spying tyranny."

As it stands, Microsoft pushed the feature's rollout to broad availability from December 2025 to January 2026. It also categorically indicated that it will be turned off by default.

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

We're well past the COVID-19 days when virtually every major organization was in panic mode, forcing them to adopt work-from-home (WFH) and hybrid work arrangements to curb the virus from spreading. As a result, there was a surge in demand for collaboration tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google's suite of productivity tools to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Microsoft was uniquely positioned to benefit from this as it had bundled Teams with Office 365, making its offer more attractive compared to its rivals. As you may know, the software giant has been in the spotlight for this very reason. Salesforce's Slack cited anticompetitive business practices, which placed Microsoft under the radar of antitrust watchdogs.

The company eventually caved to the mounting pressure, forcing it to unbundle Teams from its Office 365 suite of productivity tools, which allowed it to dodge a hefty fine from the European Commission. Users will now be forced to purchase a standalone Teams license for approximately $5.50 (€5) per user per month. This is regardless of whether they already have an Office 365 and Microsoft 365 subscription.

In September, Microsoft announced its return-to-office (RTO) plan, citing that employees tend to work best when collaborating in person. By the end of February 2026, Microsoft employees working within 50 miles of a Microsoft office will be expected to work onsite for at least three days per week.

It’s clear that many people aren’t thrilled about the controversial feature. However, Microsoft has emphasized that it’s an opt-in experience, disabled by default, which makes the situation feel a bit more reassuring.

While this might be a long shot, Microsoft might actually use Teams' location tracking feature to track key performance indicators among its employees and perhaps even ensure that they are adhering to the RTO mandate if their homes fall within a 50-mile radius. We'll see.

FAQ

What is Microsoft Teams' new controversial feature?

In October, reports emerged highlighting Microsoft's plans to ship a new Teams feature that lets your manager know your exact location when connected to the office Wi-Fi.

When will the Teams location tracking feature ship?

The feature was initially set to ship in December 2025, but Microsoft has since made modifications to the announcement, pushing the rollout date to January 2026.

Is the Teams location tracking feature enabled by default?

While the initial announcement was vague about this detail, the modified announcement defines the feature as an opt-in experience, which suggests that it will be turned off by default.

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