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How to Prevent Users in the Same Microsoft 365 Tenant from Finding Each Other
Question details
The administrator needs to prevent specific groups of users within the same Microsoft 365 tenant from discovering and communicating with each other via directory searches and email.
- Product
- Microsoft 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Enforcing Information Barrier (IB) policies across a Microsoft 365 tenant to restrict visibility and communication between specific organizational segments.
- Observed behavior
- Information Barrier policies successfully block Teams communication between segments, but users can still find one another in directory searches and send emails.
Ensure you are logged in with an administrator account that has global administrator or security administrator privileges in your Microsoft 365 tenant, as resolving this requires tenant-level configuration.
Open a Microsoft 365 Support Ticket for Tenant-Level Configuration
Because fully restricting directory searches and Exchange email visibility requires backend tenant-level configuration and diagnostic access, Microsoft Support must be involved.
Applying Information Barriers seamlessly across Teams, Exchange, and SharePoint requires advanced backend syncing that may fail or require manual intervention by Microsoft technicians.
Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center using your global administrator credentials.
Click on the 'Support' icon in the lower-right corner or select 'Help & support' from the left-hand navigation menu.
Open a new technical support ticket specifically requesting assistance with tenant-level Information Barrier configuration and diagnostics for directory searches.
Upgrade to the Newer Information Barriers Implementation
Legacy Information Barrier modes have strict limitations, such as incompatibility with Address Book Policies (ABPs), which can cause directory search restrictions to fail.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why can users still find each other in email after configuring Information Barriers in Teams?
Teams Information Barriers operate differently than Exchange Address Book Policies. If your tenant is using Legacy Information Barrier mode, it is incompatible with existing Address Book Policies, causing directory searches and email visibility restrictions to fail. You must either upgrade to the latest IB implementation or contact Microsoft Support for tenant-level configuration.
Can a user belong to multiple segments in Microsoft 365 Information Barriers?
In Legacy Information Barrier mode, users can be assigned to only one segment. If you need users to exist in multiple segments, you must upgrade to the newer Information Barriers implementation.
What is the maximum number of segments supported in Legacy Information Barrier mode?
Legacy mode supports a maximum of 250 segments within a single Microsoft 365 tenant. Organizations requiring more segments should consult the Information Barriers roadmap and upgrade to the newer version.
Do I need administrator privileges to fix Information Barrier directory issues?
Yes, resolving issues where users can still see each other in directory searches requires tenant-level configuration changes. You must log in with an administrator account to open a Microsoft 365 technical support ticket or modify compliance policies.
