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Office 365 Privacy

Microsoft 365 is a cloud product. CERN contract with Microsoft stipulates that user data at rest is stored in Switzerland or in the EU.

Please note:

  • Creation, editing and sharing of MS Office documents is possible directly in CERNBox or in OneDrive. In both cases, the documents are rendered in the browser by Microsoft software running in the Microsoft cloud.
  • Microsoft enterprise apps - the MS Office apps installed on ther user's Widnows or Mac computer - collect and send to Microsoft diagnostic data (a.k.a. telemetry) about Office client software running on the user's device.
  • In addition, Microsoft enterprise apps provide connected experiences that use cloud-based functionality to provide enhanced Office features. This means that parts of your content - for example the names of the documents that you recently edited - is sent to the Microsoft cloud. In addition, if you choose to use a connected experience that analyzes your content, then this content will be sent to the Microsoft cloud. For example, if you chose to use Translate in Word, the text you typed and selected to translate in the document is also sent to and processed by Microsoft to provide you the connected experience.

For more information on which data is sent from Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise to Microsoft and what privacy controls you can use in Office 365, check: Overview of privacy controls for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.

MS Office privacy settings that apply when Office is used with a CERN user account.

  • Diagnostic data that is collected and sent to Microsoft about Office client software being used.

What is it?

Policy name Applied to Office on..
Configure the level of client software diagnostic data sent by Office to Microsoft Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Settings State Comment Help
Configure the level of client software diagnostic data sent by Office to Microsoft Enabled
Level of diagnostic data : Neither
Neither means no diagnostic data about Office client software running on the user's device is sent to Microsoft.
This policy setting allows you to configure the level of client software diagnostic data that is collected and sent to Microsoft about the Office client software running on the user's device. -
  • Connected experiences that use cloud-based functionality to provide enhanced Office features.
Policy name Applied to Office on..
Allow the use of connected experiences in Office that analyze content Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Allow the use of connected experiences in Office that download online content Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Allow the use of additional optional connected experiences in Office Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Office on the Web
Allow the use of connected experiences in Office Windows, Mac
Settings State Comment Help
Allow the use of connected experiences in Office that analyze content Enabled Experiences that use your Office content to provide you with design recommendations, editing suggestions, data insights, and similar features. For example, PowerPoint Designer or Translator. List of connected experiences that analyze your content
Allow the use of connected experiences in Office that download online content Enabled Experiences that allow you to search and download online content including templates, images, 3D models, videos, and reference materials to enhance your documents. For example, Office templates or PowerPoint QuickStarter. List of connected experiences that download online content
Allow the use of additional optional connected experiences in Office Enabled Other connected experiences available in Office. List of those other connected experiences
Allow the use of connected experiences in Office Enabled To control whether most connected experiences accessible through Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise are available to your users.
If we disable the policy setting, the following types of connected experiences won’t be available to our users:
- Experiences that analyze your content
- Experiences that download online content
- Optional connected experiences
-
  • Others Policies
Settings State Comment Applied to Office on..
Enable Customer Experience Improvement Program Disabled
Office users cannot participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program.
This policy setting controls whether users can participate in the Microsoft Office Customer Experience Improvement Program to help improve Microsoft Office.
When users choose to participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP), Office applications automatically send information to Microsoft about how the applications are used.
This information is combined with other CEIP data to help Microsoft solve problems and to improve the products and features customers use most often.
This feature does not collect users' names, addresses, or any other identifying information except the IP address that is used to send the data.
Windows
Allow users to submit feedback to Microsoft Disabled This policy setting manages the Office Feedback Tool. Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Office on the Web
Automatically receive small updates to improve reliability Disabled
Users will not receive updates from Office Diagnostics.
This policy setting controls whether Microsoft Office Diagnostics is enabled.
Office Diagnostics enables Microsoft to diagnose system problems by periodically downloading a small file to the computer.
Windows

Additional resources