THE AUTO STATUS CHANGE IN TEAMS VIOLATES EU PRIVACY LAW

Question

THE AUTO STATUS CHANGE IN TEAMS VIOLATES EU PRIVACY LAW

Answer 1

Hello @Pim van Heeswijk

I can totally feel your frustration. Privacy is a massive deal, especially with GDPR and EU regulations. However, I’m wondering if there might be a bit of a misunderstanding regarding how the auto-status works versus what the law specifically dictates.

It is a sensitive topic, and I would like to help look into this further to see if there is any clarification I can provide for you:

To make sure I fully understand the situation, could you please provide a bit more context?

• Are you referring to the default "Away" status trigger when a user is idle, or a specific policy implemented by your organization?
• Is there a specific article of the EU privacy regulations (such as GDPR) that you believe the current status behavior is infringing upon?
• Is this occurring on a specific device or across all platforms (Desktop/Mobile)?

Once I have these details, I’ll be in a better position to check the current documentation or escalate this if necessary.

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Answer 2

Microsoft Teams presence and status behavior, including automatic status changes such as Available, Away, Busy, and Do not disturb, is a standard product feature and not, by itself, described in the provided material as a violation of EU privacy law.

From the available information:

1. Teams status is primarily driven by user activity, calendar information, and device state. For example, on desktop:
   • Status changes from Available to Away when the computer is locked or enters idle/sleep.
   • Status changes to In a meeting or In a call (Busy) when in a meeting or call.
   • Users can manually choose statuses such as Do not disturb, Be right back, Appear away, and Appear offline.
2. Users retain control over their status:
   • Status can be changed at any time via the profile picture menu.
   • Status can be set for a specific duration (for any status except Available) and will automatically reset after the chosen period.
   • Status duration can be cancelled at any time by choosing a new status or selecting Reset status.
   • Users can adjust related behavior, such as whether Teams automatically switches to Do not disturb when sharing the screen, under Settings → Privacy → Set my status to Do not disturb when I'm sharing my screen.
3. Regarding EU privacy and GDPR more broadly, the provided material describes:
   • EU data protection rules grant data subjects rights such as viewing, correcting, erasing, objecting to processing, and exporting personal data.
   • Microsoft provides GDPR-related information, tools, and documentation (for example, via the Microsoft Trust Center and Service Trust Portal) to help customers meet their obligations when using Microsoft services.
   • Microsoft applies a multilayered security and access-control model for customer data, including background checks, multifactor authentication, and encryption for data at rest and in transit, including when data is accessed remotely within the EU Data Boundary.

The provided content does not state that automatic status changes in Teams violate EU privacy law. It instead explains how presence works, how to control it (including durations and privacy-related settings), and how Microsoft supports GDPR and EU data protection requirements at a service level.

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References:

• Change your status in Microsoft Teams
• Privacy overview
• Sales Insights and privacy laws
• Continuing data transfers that apply to all EU Data Boundary Services