M365 Changelog: (Updated) Microsoft Teams – Block Anonymous Users’ Meeting Chat Read Access in Addition to Current Write Access

MC552789 – Updated June 20, 2023: Microsoft has updated the content below for clarity. Thank you for your patience.

Microsoft Teams IT Admins will soon be able to block anonymous users from accessing the chat in internally hosted meetings by disabling their read access on top of the existing disabled write access. This release of Microsoft Teams updated meeting chat setting will be rolling out across Microsoft Teams Desktop, Mobile and Web and will provide an additional way for tenants to manage external users’ chat access in meetings hosted by internal users.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 123974

When will this happen:

GA: Microsoft will begin rollout in mid-June and expect to complete rollout by late June.

GCC: Microsoft will begin roll out in early July and expect to complete rollout by mid-July.

GCCH: Microsoft will begin rollout in late July and expect to complete rollout by early August.

DoD: Microsoft will begin rollout in early August and expect to complete rollout by mid-August.

How this will affect your organization:

IT Admins can turn ON this setting for internal users from the Teams Admin Center under Meeting Chat or from PowerShell under MeetingChatEnabledType. Anonymous participants joining meetings organized by internal users who have Meeting Chat as On for everyone but anonymous users from the Admin Center or MeetingChatEnabledType as EnabledExceptAnonymous from the PowerShell will not have read or write meeting chat access on any Teams platforms. Meeting participants who are in the same meeting and have chat access will be notified that some external participants in the meeting might not see chat when this setting is in effect.

What you need to do to prepare:

You may want to notify your users about this new setting and the potential effect on participants’ chat access in their meetings with external users. For additional information, please visit this documentation.

Additional information