Information barriers

Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business support information barriers. Assuming your subscription includes information barriers, a compliance administrator, or information barriers administrator can define policies to allow or prevent communications between groups of users in Microsoft Teams. 

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When information barrier policies are in place, people who should not communicate or share files with other specific users won't be able to find, select, chat, or call those users. With information barriers, checks are in place to prevent unauthorized communication and collaboration.

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Information barriers applies to Microsoft Teams (chats and channels), SharePoint Online and OneDrive. In Microsoft Teams, information barrier policies determine and prevent the following kinds of unauthorized communications:

• Searching for a user

• Adding a member to a team

• Starting a chat session with someone

• Starting a group chat

• Inviting someone to join a meeting

• Sharing a screen

• Placing a call

• Sharing a file with another user

• Access to file through sharing link

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If the people involved are included in an information barrier policy to prevent the activity, they will not be able to proceed. In addition, potentially, everyone included in an information barrier policy can be blocked from communicating with others in Microsoft Teams. When people affected by information barrier policies are part of the same team or group chat, they might be removed from those chat sessions and further communication with the group might not be allowed.

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In SharePoint Online and OneDrive, information barrier policies determine and prevent the following kinds of unauthorized collaborations:

• Adding a member to a site

• Accessing site or content by a user

• Sharing site or content with another user

• Searching a site