Microsoft Teams administrators finally get the option to block external bots from meetings

Date:
Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Description:
Teams admins can soon choose to automatically block external bots to prevent any unwanted access, but watch out.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Microsoft used to tell you when a bot was in the lobby, now you can automatically block it Watch out, because legitimate add-ons like AI assistants could end up being blocked More protections are coming to Teams soon, too Microsoft is rolling out an important new security policy for Teams, and admins can now finally block external meeting bots automatically.

Previously, the software would identify bots and label them accordingly
within the lobby, but leave the final decision to meeting organizers this
new update prevents external bots from joining in the first place. The
company hopes the upgrade will give organizations more control over security to reduce the risks associated with unwanted participants. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Teams now automatically blocks external bots Despite the new change, the policy will be disabled by default, so Microsoft won't be banning third-party bots across the board. But company admins will
be able to enable the policy for users or groups to reduce the burden and security risks accordingly, marking a major improvement over the earlier bot protections introduced just two months ago.

Importantly, any external bot detected in a meeting will be blocked from entering, thus legitimate tools could also be blocked, hence the decision to disable the tool by default. That includes legitimate tools like AI meeting assistants, transcription tools, recording add-ons and other similar tools. You may like Microsoft Teams wants to block bad bots for good Microsoft Teams has a slightly creepy new feature which will watch and listen to your
meetings but thankfully only if you let it Microsoft makes major Teams AI U-turn following user revolt

"Bots have begun joining meetings that participants never intended them to attend," Meera Ajam explained in a June post , hinting at a shift to hybrid (human and machine) participants.

Nevertheless, it's an important change for the video conferencing platform, which has seen a rise in cybercriminal activity. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Further admin controls, like allow lists for approved bots and audit logs,
are also set to come to the productivity suite. This latest update is
starting to roll out now, with general availability expected by late September. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source
to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/microsoft-teams-administrators-finally-get-the-o ption-to-block-external-bots-from-meetings


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