M365 Copilot Web Grounding Protection

This article is concise yet thorough, covering the key factors involved in enabling web-grounded searches with M365 Copilot chat.

Reference: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/microsoft-365-copilot-web-search-delivering-multiple-layers-of-protection-and-co/4458224

Many enterprise clients are addressing risk considerations associated with enabling web grounding. Microsoft is committed to delivering an AI solution that aligns with and respects the data protection expectations of enterprise customers.

Unlike traditional search engines, which are designed for broad consumer use, M365 Copilot Chat operates as an enterprise service offering layered controls to safeguard business information. M365 Copilot provides users and organizations with clear visibility regarding the search terms utilized during web queries; each query is anonymized, with all user and tenant identifiers removed, and no files uploaded or stored within the M365 tenant are ever incorporated. All result processing occurs strictly within the M365 control boundary. Users benefit from full transparency, including comprehensive citations and disclosure of the exact keywords used in generating results.

The article further outlines additional administrative controls, user protections, query safeguarding measures, and Microsoft’s contractual commitments. It also offers recommendations for organizations preparing to implement M365 Copilot, emphasizing data loss prevention, audit logging, and robust user training.