Does Microsoft Copilot train on your data?
Microsoft · AI chat assistant · official site ↗
Depends on your planZDR / DPA on enterpriseOpt-out available
Does Microsoft Copilot train its models on your data?
It depends — Microsoft Copilot trains on consumer/free-tier data by default but excludes business, enterprise and API tiers.
Microsoft trains its AI models on consumer Copilot conversation and voice activity by default (personal Microsoft accounts), but you can opt out in privacy settings, and work/school (Entra ID) accounts are excluded entirely.
Can you opt out?
Signed in with a personal Microsoft account: open Copilot profile → Privacy → turn off "Training on conversation activity" (and "Training on voice conversations"), or use the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard at account.microsoft.com/privacy. Opt-out applies to future activity only and does not stop use for safety, security or product improvement. Work/school Entra accounts are never used for training.
Zero retention / DPA
Consumer Copilot has no zero-data-retention option; conversation activity is retained ~18 months by default. Work/school (Entra ID) accounts fall under Microsoft 365 Copilot Enterprise Data Protection with commercial terms and are excluded from consumer training. DPA ↗
What the listicles get wrong
Listicles conflate consumer Copilot with Microsoft 365 Copilot — only the consumer (personal-account) product trains by default. Also missed: opting out of training does not stop your chats being used for security, safety, advertising or general product improvement, and users in several countries plus under-18 and not-signed-in users are auto-excluded.
Verdict by plan tier
Consumer Copilot (personal Microsoft account)Trains unless you opt outConversation and voice activity used to train AI models by default; opt out via Privacy settings or the Privacy Dashboard.
Work / School (Entra ID) & Microsoft 365 CopilotNo trainingNot used to train Microsoft's foundation models; governed by Enterprise Data Protection / DPA.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Microsoft Copilot train its AI models on my data?
It depends — Microsoft Copilot trains on consumer/free-tier data by default but excludes business, enterprise and API tiers. Microsoft trains its AI models on consumer Copilot conversation and voice activity by default (personal Microsoft accounts), but you can opt out in privacy settings, and work/school (Entra ID) accounts are excluded entirely.
Can I opt out of Microsoft Copilot training on my data?
Signed in with a personal Microsoft account: open Copilot profile → Privacy → turn off "Training on conversation activity" (and "Training on voice conversations"), or use the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard at account.microsoft.com/privacy. Opt-out applies to future activity only and does not stop use for safety, security or product improvement. Work/school Entra accounts are never used for training.
Does Microsoft Copilot offer zero data retention (ZDR) or a DPA?
Consumer Copilot has no zero-data-retention option; conversation activity is retained ~18 months by default. Work/school (Entra ID) accounts fall under Microsoft 365 Copilot Enterprise Data Protection with commercial terms and are excluded from consumer training.
Is Microsoft Copilot safe to use with confidential or proprietary data?
It depends on your plan tier. Consumer Copilot (personal Microsoft account): Conversation and voice activity used to train AI models by default; opt out via Privacy settings or the Privacy Dashboard. Work / School (Entra ID) & Microsoft 365 Copilot: Not used to train Microsoft's foundation models; governed by Enterprise Data Protection / DPA. Always confirm current terms with Microsoft before sending confidential data — this is cited public information, not legal advice.
Sources
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/microsoft-copilot-privacy-controls-8e479f27-6eb6-48c5-8d6a-c134062e2be6
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/privacy-faq-for-microsoft-copilot-27b3a435-8dc9-4b55-9a4b-58eeb9647a7f
This page is cited public information, not legal or compliance advice. Whether Microsoft Copilot trains on your data, and any zero-retention or DPA option, can depend on your specific plan, region and contract. Always confirm current terms with Microsoft before sending confidential or proprietary data.