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‘STOP IT THEY CAN READ TEAMS CHATS?!’: TikToker raises alarm after saying employers can read employees’ private messages on Microsoft Teams

'This is why I do not make friends or message anyone in work chats.'

 

Rebekah Harding

IRL

Posted on Sep 6, 2022   Updated on Sep 6, 2022, 5:25 pm CDT

A corporate parody account suggested that companies’ Human Resources department does “compliance” checks of employees’ Microsoft Teams chats, triggering alarm in the comments.

In the now-deleted video posted by TikToker Corp Bro Nate (@corpbronate) on Sept. 2, he pretended to look shocked with blurred Microsoft Teams chats in the background. The text overlay read, “part 2: compliance teams reviewing employee chats.”

The video contained audio from the movie “Little Women” that says, “No. No. It’s no use, Jo. Jo, we’ve got to have it out. I’ve loved you ever since I’ve known you,” parodying employees who overshare their personal lives in the chat function of the popular corporate communication platform.

The video reached 204,000 views as of Sept. 6, with commenters sharing their alarm about the possibility of HR reading their chats. According to an article by Time Doctor, Microsoft Teams allows admins to monitor deleted and private messages, “webcam usage,” and which devices are used to log into the platform.

“This is why I do not make friends or message anyone in work chats,” one commenter wrote.

“My IT person knows way too much about my dating life,” another said.

“STOP IT THEY CAN READ TEAMS CHATS ?!” a third exclaimed.

However, others said that would love to work on the compliance team in order to hear about “office tea,” referring to office gossip.

“Lol the tea I would have if I had this job,” one user said.

“I want this job so badly that I would do it for FREE,” another wrote.

The Daily Dot reached out to Nate via Instagram direct message.

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*First Published: Sep 6, 2022, 5:23 pm CDT