This is what I gathered on the subject, feel free to correct if anything is wrong:
The WiFi tracking works by scanning for nearby WiFi networks, identifying which routers are nearby and their signal strengths, matching those against their database of known WiFi access points, and using that data to estimate your location.
For now the feature will be off by default, first has to be enabled by your company, and then the user has to opt in for it to be used.
For those who are required to use Microsoft products, it can by bypassed by using a wired Ethernet connection and not using Teams on any devices using a wireless connection.
Edit: As @lividweasel@lemmy.world pointed out, Microsoft is not using WiFi positioning systems to determine location, but rather updating your location to “in the office” or not depending on whether your device is connected to one of the organization’s WiFi SSIDs.
The organization will configure a list of Wi-Fi SSIDs. When your device connects to one of those, the Teams location would be updated to “in the office”.
That’s it. No complex triangulation, no pinpoint locating. Just “are you connected to the office network or not”.
Also, if you don’t want to be tracked in this way, just don’t participate. If your organization sets a policy to opt you in automatically, click the option to opt out. If they give the offer to opt in, just don’t.
I know it’s hip to hate on Microsoft, but we should at least discuss things based on the truth, not wild assumptions and misinformation.
Thanks for the clarification. I wrongly assumed Microsoft was using Wi-Fi positioning systems (which is used for geolocation, just not in this particular case) instead of reading their documentation.
I’ll update the comment.
I also don’t think most workplaces are going to punish you for opting out of this feature even if organizational policy requires it to be enabled.
This is what I gathered on the subject, feel free to correct if anything is wrong:
The WiFi tracking works by scanning for nearby WiFi networks, identifying which routers are nearby and their signal strengths, matching those against their database of known WiFi access points, and using that data to estimate your location.
For now the feature will be off by default, first has to be enabled by your company, and then the user has to opt in for it to be used.
For those who are required to use Microsoft products, it can by bypassed by using a wired Ethernet connection and not using Teams on any devices using a wireless connection.
Edit: As @lividweasel@lemmy.world pointed out, Microsoft is not using WiFi positioning systems to determine location, but rather updating your location to “in the office” or not depending on whether your device is connected to one of the organization’s WiFi SSIDs.
same go for the web browser based teams, or is this just the “app”?
The browser version shouldn’t be able to access this info.
Until Edge updates and silently turns it on
Unlikely, browser vendors are very careful adding such APIs, and MS doesn’t have the pull Google does.
A simple fix is, of course, not to use Edge.
That doesn’t at all match the documentation.
The organization will configure a list of Wi-Fi SSIDs. When your device connects to one of those, the Teams location would be updated to “in the office”.
That’s it. No complex triangulation, no pinpoint locating. Just “are you connected to the office network or not”.
Also, if you don’t want to be tracked in this way, just don’t participate. If your organization sets a policy to opt you in automatically, click the option to opt out. If they give the offer to opt in, just don’t.
I know it’s hip to hate on Microsoft, but we should at least discuss things based on the truth, not wild assumptions and misinformation.
Thanks for the clarification. I wrongly assumed Microsoft was using Wi-Fi positioning systems (which is used for geolocation, just not in this particular case) instead of reading their documentation.
I’ll update the comment.
I also don’t think most workplaces are going to punish you for opting out of this feature even if organizational policy requires it to be enabled.
So basically the same every Android phone does. Google has done this kind of tracking since 2007
I look forward to this feature being deployed in hospitals. It’s going to fail so hard and generate so many tickets.