Microsoft will activate Claude models in Copilot on December 9, 2026 for companies and institutions in the EU and the EFTA states that have not made a selection by then. This is stated in message MC1546438 in the Microsoft 365 message center, which was published on November 10, 2026. So far, Claude has been set to "off" by default for these organizations.
From the beginning of December, requests to the Claude models are also to be processed within the EU Data Boundary. This is Microsoft's commitment to process customer data in the EU. With this, Microsoft makes the commitment more concrete that TutKit reported on in the news about Claude in Copilot and the EU Data Boundary. At that time, only the end of the year was mentioned.
With the message, mainly a default setting changes. If an organization has not chosen anything in the Admin Center, all users will get access to Claude on the deadline date. This also applies if nobody in IT has read the message.
What changes on December 9?
According to the message center, settings that have already been made remain in place. Where Claude is switched off, it stays off, and assignments for specific users and groups do not change. One option, however, disappears: Microsoft is abolishing the selection "only in Copilot in the Microsoft 365 apps" on December 9, and organizations with this selection switch to "All users". If you do not want that to happen, set "No users" or "Specific users and groups" beforehand.
Claude in Copilot: the schedule for the EU
According to Microsoft, as of November 15, 2026, for companies and institutions in the EU and EFTA
- November 5, 2026Microsoft commits to Claude in the EU Data Boundary by the end of 2026
- November 10, 2026The message center names the deadline date
- Beginning of December 2026Processing of the models within the EU Data Boundary, no exact date given
- December 9, 2026Claude becomes active for all users without a selection, the option "only in the apps" is dropped
For the United Kingdom, the message does not mention any change.
Sources: Microsoft Message Center, Microsoft Copilot Blog, Microsoft Learn
The Copilot blog had only mentioned the end of the year on November 5, and the message center provides the deadline date five days later. Microsoft does not say exactly when in early December processing within the data boundary begins. Whether it will be completed by December 9 therefore remains open.
What applies until the relocation?
Until the beginning of December, the EU Data Boundary commitment does not yet apply to Claude. The documentation on Microsoft Learn continues to list Claude in Copilot, Researcher, Copilot Studio, Power Platform, and the Microsoft 365 apps as excluded. Anthropic remains a subprocessor of Microsoft, and Microsoft's Product Terms and Data Protection Addendum (DPA) continue to apply.
An exception is the "Anthropic models with data retention". These models depend on a separate switch, which the change does not affect. According to Microsoft Learn, Anthropic stores most inputs and outputs for these models for up to 30 days, and Microsoft's Data Protection Addendum does not apply to them. An admin must explicitly enable the models; until then they remain switched off, even after December 9.
The message mentions only the EU and the EFTA. For the United Kingdom, Microsoft Learn continues to list "No users" as the default.
What this means for you
If you work as an admin with the AI Administrator or Global Administrator role, open Copilot, Settings, "View all" in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center by December 9, and there "AI providers operating as Microsoft subprocessors". Note the current setting for Anthropic, make your own selection, and save it, even if it is "All users". Then on December 9 your choice applies and not the default setting.
Decide beforehand who should get Claude. A pilot group via "Specific users and groups" is the cautious option. According to Microsoft Learn, Copilot indicates when Claude is responding, and in features such as Researcher users can select Claude. Inform the helpdesk before the first questions come in, and if you process customer data in Copilot, coordinate the decision with your data protection officer.
If you only want to switch on Claude once processing in the EU Data Boundary is running, choose "No users" now. After the deadline date, according to the message, you can switch Claude off or restrict it at any time.
If you work without admin rights, ask IT which selection applies. With your own Microsoft 365 subscription for business and no IT department, it is best to open the Admin Center yourself.
Microsoft announced the change on November 10, 2026 in the Message Center.
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