495547 – Microsoft Purview compliance portal: OCR – Restrict OCR Scan to mails sent outside the organization

Product:

Purview, Purview Communication Compliance, Purview compliance portal

Platform:

Web, World tenant

Status:

Launched

Change type:

Links:

Details:

The feature will allow you to do OCR for only those mails which are being sent outside the organization. Hence, by using this config, you will not be billed for any internal communications or any incoming mails coming from outside the org.

Change Category:
XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

Scope:
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Release Phase:
General Availability, Preview

Created:
2025-05-31

updated:
2026-01-21

Public Preview Start Date

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MS workload name

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summary for non-techies**

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Direct effects for Operations**

Increased Risk of Data Leakage
Restricting OCR to only external emails may lead to unmonitored internal communications, increasing the risk of sensitive data being leaked internally without detection.
   - roles: Compliance Officer, IT Security Manager
   - references: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/compliance-solutions, https://www.csoonline.com/article/3531230/the-importance-of-data-leak-prevention.html

User Experience Degradation
Users may experience delays or issues in accessing important internal communications that are not being scanned for compliance, leading to potential miscommunication or loss of critical information.
   - roles: End User, Team Manager
   - references: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2021/01/25/the-importance-of-user-experience-in-technology/?sh=4b1c1c4e1b3e, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/definition-user-experience/

Configutation Options**

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explanation for non-techies**

Imagine you have a security guard at the entrance of your office building. This guard's job is to check every package leaving the building to ensure nothing sensitive is being taken out without permission. However, the guard doesn't need to check packages moving within the building or those coming in from outside. This is similar to what Microsoft Purview's new feature does for your organization's emails.

The feature is like a digital security guard that uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to scan emails. But instead of scanning every single email, it focuses only on those being sent outside your organization. This means it won't scan emails that are sent internally or those coming from outside into your organization. This selective scanning helps manage costs because you are not charged for scanning internal communications or incoming emails, much like how you wouldn't pay the security guard to check packages that aren't leaving the building.

In simple terms, think of it as a way to keep an eye on what information is leaving your organization without worrying about the internal chatter or incoming messages. This helps ensure that sensitive information doesn't slip out unnoticed, while also keeping the process efficient and cost-effective.