Microsoft has announced a series of updates to Copilot in Fabric, aimed at enhancing user privacy and the platform's overall usability. Among the most notable changes is the termination of the 30-day data retention policy, a move prompted by user feedback. Microsoft's blog post on Tuesday detailed these updates, emphasizing the company's commitment to user privacy and security. By eliminating the storage of prompt-related data, Microsoft seeks to bolster trust and ensure a more secure user experience.
Automatic Activation and Administrative Control
From May 20, Copilot in Fabric will be activated by default for all tenant accounts, a departure from the current requirement for administrators to enable the service manually through the admin portal. This update is designed to streamline the process and ensure that AI features like Copilot are readily available to users who have not yet activated the service. However, Microsoft has provided a clear pathway for administrators preferring to opt-out, detailing a four-step process to disable the setting before it automatically takes effect.
Data Processing within the EU
In a move for European users, Microsoft has also updated Copilot in Fabric to ensure that data processing for EU-based users occurs within the European Union. This change addresses concerns about data sovereignty and privacy by eliminating the need for the cross-geo setting previously required when data processing capabilities were not available in the user's region. Microsoft's update to the cross-geo mapping component of Copilot in Fabric means that, for any capacity within the EU, data will neither be stored nor processed outside the EU data boundary.
These updates to Copilot in Fabric represent critical steps towards its general availability release later this year. By addressing privacy concerns, simplifying administrative controls, and ensuring compliance with regional data processing requirements, Microsoft is poised to enhance the user experience significantly. Microsoft brought Copilot to Fabric in May 2023, and points out that because Fabric is a Software as a Service (SaaS), it can be instantly integrated and optimized into a current organization setup.
