Microsoft recently introduced a new version of Outlook on Windows PCs. It was designed to replace the aging Windows Mail and the classic Outlook, so it introduces a slick new design and significantly tighter cloud integrations while combining your email and calendar into one app. It also introduces new generative AI features, including writing assists and “other advanced AI features."

However, the app also introduces some serious privacy concerns. Based on research from the German blog heise.de, which we’ve been able to reproduce at XDA, it appears that the new Outlook app is far more tightly integrated with the cloud than a user might expect, opening up the scope of potential Microsoft data collection. This represents a significant privacy issue, so there are a lot of questions Microsoft needs to answer about user expectations.

snip

The new version of Outlook has been available since early September and introduces a range of new features. The app already includes new Copilot AI features, and Microsoft has stated that it intends for the new version of Outlook to replace the existing Outlook app within two years. The company has also announced a broader list of upcoming features, which will likely be announced in the coming months (particularly around AI capabilities). The new app also has a fresh UI, bringing it more in line with Microsoft's cloud versions of office apps, as well as tighter integration with other Office services such as Calendar and Word.

snip

However, once you're authenticated, you're presented with an innocuous window informing you that to use the new version of Outlook, Microsoft will need to sync your emails, events, and contacts to Microsoft Cloud. A cancel option is available, but there's no option to refuse and continue using your client. A support link is provided with some more information, which explains that the access enables features such as mail search, a focused inbox, or recurring meetings, but makes no clear statement of the limits of this data collection.