Microsoft has rolled out a new policy for Teams meetings, giving organizers the ability to block third-party bots from joining without explicit approval. The feature aims to reduce disruption from uninvited automated participants, which have become a nuisance in collaborative environments.
The update targets a growing problem: bots that join meetings to record, transcribe, or inject content without the host's consent. While Microsoft already offered some bot controls, the new policy provides a more granular, admin-level toggle to restrict all third-party bots by default.
Organizers can now turn on the setting via the Teams admin center. When enabled, any bot not explicitly allowed by the organizer will be denied entry. The policy applies to both scheduled and ad-hoc meetings, and can be configured organization-wide or for specific groups.
No specific CVEs or active exploitation campaigns have been linked to this move. Microsoft framed the change as a proactive privacy and security measure rather than a response to a known vulnerability. The policy is available now for all Teams users with an appropriate license.
Some administrators may argue that stricter bot controls could hinder legitimate automation tools used for meeting transcription, note-taking, or translation. Microsoft noted that approved bots can still be whitelisted on a per-organizer basis, balancing security with functionality.