check before: 2026-04-17
Product:
Copilot, Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 admin center, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft 365 suite, Power Platform
Platform:
Online, World tenant
Status:
Change type:
Feature update, Admin impact
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Starting April 17, 2026, Microsoft enables flex routing for EU and EFTA tenants using Copilot, allowing LLM inferencing outside the EU Data Boundary during peak demand. Data remains encrypted, with limited pseudonymized data stored outside. Flex routing is on by default but can be managed in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Details:
[Introduction:]
To provide customers with greater flexibility during periods of peak demand, Microsoft is introducing flex routing. Flex routing allows large language model (LLM) inferencing to occur outside the European Union (EU) Data Boundary during periods of peak demand to help maintain a consistent Copilot experience.
No matter where LLM inferencing occurs, data will be encrypted in transit and at rest. Data at rest will continue to be stored inside the EU Data Boundary, except for limited pseudonymized data which may be stored outside the EU Data Boundary for security and operational purposes.
Flex routing is enabled by default for your tenant, and you remain in control - you can review or change this setting at any time in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
[When this will happen:]
This change will take effect April 17, 2026.
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
Created:
2026-04-03
updated:
2026-04-03
Task Type
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Docu to Check
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MS How does it affect me
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MS Preperations
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MS Urgency
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MS workload name
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summary for non-techies**
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Direct effects for Operations**
Data Processing Location Change
LLM inferencing may occur outside the EU Data Boundary, potentially raising compliance and data sovereignty concerns.
- roles: Compliance Officer, IT Administrator
- references: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2356281
User Experience During Peak Demand
Users may experience latency or performance issues if LLM inferencing is routed outside the EU during peak times.
- roles: End User, Support Technician
- references: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2356281
Data Security Concerns
Limited pseudonymized data stored outside the EU may lead to security vulnerabilities and increased risk of data breaches.
- roles: Data Protection Officer, IT Security Specialist
- references: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2356281
Compliance with GDPR
The change may complicate compliance with GDPR regulations due to data being processed outside the EU.
- roles: Compliance Officer, Legal Advisor
- references: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2356281
Admin Control Over Settings
Admins may overlook the need to review or change the flex routing setting, leading to unintended data routing decisions.
- roles: IT Administrator, System Administrator
- references: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2356281
Configutation Options**
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Opportunities**
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Potentional Risks**
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Data Protection**
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IT Security**
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Hypothetical Work Council Statement**
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DPIA Draft**
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explanation for non-techies**
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** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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Last updated 1 week ago ago
