Dec 02, 2020 13:00:00

Removed some features that Microsoft was accused of 'becoming a powerful employee monitoring tool'

In October 2020, Microsoft announced a new feature in Microsoft

365 called ' Productivity Score .' The productivity score allows managers to visualize the behavior of each employee, and it is pointed out that there is a big problem from the viewpoint of privacy so that it is pointed out that 'the function may not be legally used in EU countries'. Was being done. In response to this indication, Microsoft has announced that it will remove some features.

Our commitment to privacy in Microsoft Productivity Score --Microsoft 365 Blog
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2020/12/01/our-commitment-to-privacy-in-microsoft-productivity-score/

Microsoft will remove user names from'Productivity Score' feature after privacy backlash --GeekWire
https://www.geekwire.com/2020/microsoft-will-remove-user-names-productivity-score-feature-privacy-backlash/

This feature allows tool managers to visualize and quantify 'how individual employees use email and chat,' while privacy researcher Wolfie Christl said, 'to monitor employees. It will be a powerful tool for us. '

Pointed out that 'Microsoft 365' will become an employee monitoring tool due to the new function of scoring user productivity --GIGAZINE

The productivity score can analyze the activity of each employee at the individual level, and since it is possible to know in detail the activity content including the number of days to send an email and the number of days to use chat, `` Extensive workplace monitoring is possible. 'I don't think employees can legally use these features in most EU countries,' he said.

In response to these indications, Microsoft announced on December 1st that it will remove some data display features. Jared Spataro , Vice President of Microsoft 365, said, 'Communication, meetings, content collaboration, teamwork, and mobility metrics in productivity scores are now aggregated only at the organizational level.' By excluding 'username' from the tool, managers can no longer use productivity scores to see 'how each employee is using the tool' at the individual level. explained.

In the future, Microsoft plans to update its productivity score to clarify that it is designed to access the productivity of the entire organization, not the individual.

“In the last few days, we've noticed some confusion about the functionality of our products. Productivity scores are meant to give your organization a score and are designed to evaluate each user. It wasn't done, 'says Spataro. On the other hand, it has also been revealed that Microsoft has patented 'a system that recognizes the faces and movements of conference participants and scores the conference', 'Microsoft is an idea for monitoring employees. I'm looking for. '

Microsoft applied for a patent for 'a system that recognizes the faces and movements of conference participants and scores the conference' --GIGAZINE