Microsoft Revamps ‘Invasive’ M365 Feature After Privacy Backlash

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

Microsoft Revamps 'Invasive' M365 Feature After Privacy Backlash:

Microsoft has announced what it calls a more privacy-friendly version of its Productivity Score enterprise feature, following backlash from security experts who condemned it as "full-fledged workplace surveillance tool."

The Productivity Score feature, which was launched as part of the Microsoft 365 productivity suite on Oct. 29, aimed to provide enterprises with data about how employees were utilizing technology. The idea behind the feature is to provide employees with a "score" based on metrics collected from their usage of Microsoft 365 products. For instance, an employee who uses Microsoft Teams, Outlook or Skype more might have a higher score.

However, following privacy concerns about the feature, the tech giant announced on Tuesday several changes to Productivity Score. "At Microsoft, we believe that data-driven insights are crucial to empowering people and organizations to achieve more," Jared Spataro, corporate vice president for Microsoft 365, said in a blog post Tuesday. "We also believe that privacy is a human right, and we're deeply committed to the privacy of every person who uses our products."

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