This Microsoft Teams update could be the most controversial yet

Date:
Tue, 07 Sep 2021 11:32:24 +0000

Description:
An upcoming Microsoft Teams update will allow administrators to censor your messaging channels.

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Microsoft is working on a new feature for collaboration platform Teams thats designed to help keep conversations on track, but not everyone will approve.

As per a new entry in the companys product roadmap , Teams will soon allow administrators to remove inappropriate or tangential content in messaging channels. Presumably, this includes swear words, lewdness, aggressive
language and the like.

The feature is supposedly built with Teams for Education users in mind, but will be made available across all iterations of the software later this
month. Here's our list of the best video conferencing software around We've built a list of the best business webcams right now Check out our list of the best headsets for conference calls on the market Microsoft Teams update

In an online learning context, the value of the new Teams feature is obvious; teachers tasked with keeping rowdy students in line remotely will welcome all the help they can get. The chat management facility will work hand-in-hand with similar in-meeting tools, which allow hosts to disable video feeds, and mute or evict disruptive attendees.

However, outside of e-learning scenarios, the feature is bound to rub a few users up the wrong way. If the Basecamp controversy is anything to go by,
some wont take kindly to a facility that allows administrators to censor chat content and decide what qualifies as appropriate or not.

The feature is also likely to create opportunities for miscommunication. The messaging channel format is designed to create a permanent log of conversations around a particular topic. But the ability to delete messages will create holes in this history that could eliminate important context.

Presumably, Microsoft will opt for a system whereby deleted messages are replaced with an explanatory note, though the company has offered no
specifics as yet. And admittedly, Slack already employs a similar system, whereby administrators decide who has the power to delete chat messages.

The risk, then, is determined by the way in which each individual business decides to deploy these new administrator privileges.

TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft for comment on the opportunity for abuse. Here's our list of the best productivity software out there



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/this-microsoft-teams-update-could-be-the-most-c ontroversial-yet/


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