The Register reported on November 10, 2026, that Microsoft plans to make Anthropic’s Claude models available by default to UK Copilot tenants starting December 9, 2026, if administrators have not chosen another setting. Microsoft documents controls to disable Anthropic or assign access to selected users or groups, so the reported default does not require organizations to use Claude.
What the planned UK default means
Microsoft’s documentation, updated November 4, described Claude access as disabled by default for UK customers. The Register later reported that Microsoft plans to change the default on December 9 for UK Copilot tenants without another administrator setting. The reported change concerns tenant-level availability, not a requirement that every user choose Claude.
How administrators manage Anthropic access
Microsoft documents this route in the Microsoft 365 admin center: Copilot → Settings → View all → AI providers operating as Microsoft subprocessors. An AI Administrator or Global Administrator can disable Anthropic or assign access to users or groups. Microsoft also says indicators in Copilot on the web, desktop, and mobile show when Claude models are in use. Microsoft’s administrator guidance covers these controls.
Access, processing location, and retention terms answer different questions; a tenant default is not a regional data-processing commitment.
Access and data processing are separate
Microsoft says Claude models in its offerings are excluded from the EU Data Boundary and applicable in-country processing commitments. The Register separately reported that Anthropic processes relevant data in the United States. The access-default plan and those processing details concern different aspects of the service.
Microsoft’s November 5 plan for processing Claude within the EU Data Boundary for EU and EFTA organizations is a separate regional commitment, covered in NeoTeo’s report on the EU/EFTA plan.
Data Retention models need a separate opt-in
Microsoft distinguishes covered Claude models that operate under its enterprise subprocessor terms from Anthropic models with Data Retention. Those models require a separate, explicit tenant-administrator opt-in and Anthropic’s terms; Microsoft’s Product Terms and Data Protection Addendum do not apply to that separate arrangement.
