What it means
Teams sharing settings can offer Can view, Can review, Can edit and Can't download for files where organization policy supports them. Can view lets an approved person read without modifying the original. Can't download may limit the platform's download action, but the person can still perceive the content and may capture it in another way. Link scope and permission level must both be reviewed; a view-only Anyone link can still have a much wider audience than intended.
A real-world example
A proposal is sent to one consultant with Can't download, but the sender had copied a link open to the whole organization. The restriction did not fix the audience mistake.
What to do
In Share or Manage access, select named recipients first, then the least privilege that supports their task. Test access and revisit the permission when collaboration ends.
The distinction that matters
Can't download is not digital rights management and cannot prevent photos, screenshots or notes. Can review is not identical to Can edit, and controls may vary by file type or tenant policy. If content must never be disclosed to a recipient, do not share it merely under a restricted viewing setting. Revocation also cannot retrieve copies already made. A recipient who needs to annotate a file may require a review permission rather than permanent edit rights to the original.
Teams sharing settings
