Enabling Senstivity Label on the service/Desktop level

[Roomie117]

I have a Microsoft E5 license and would like to apply sensitivity labels using Microsoft Purview in Power BI workspaces and Power BI Desktop. My goal is to control data sharing—specifically, to restrict users from sharing (exported data from table visual)  data outside the project—while still allowing other developers access as needed.

However, I do not currently have access to the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center or Admin Console to configure sensitivity labels. Should I request access from our Power BI team, or is this something that needs to be provided by the Microsoft 365 or security administration team?

Questions:

1. Does enabling and using sensitivity labels incur any additional costs beyond the Microsoft E5 license?
   (If yes, how much does it cost?)

2. What are the limitations when using sensitivity labels with Power BI?

3. If one user (with admin rights) enables and configures sensitivity labels in the admin console and applies them to reports, can other users with Power BI Pro licenses also view, apply, or inherit those same labels?

[v-sgandrathi · Accepted solution]

Hi @Roomie117,

You mentioned you do not have access to Microsoft 365 Compliance Center or the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

You will need to contact your Microsoft 365 Security or Compliance Admins, not just the Power BI team. Only those with appropriate roles in Microsoft Purview (like Compliance Admin or Security Admin) can create and publish sensitivity labels.

So yes, request access or coordination from the Microsoft 365 or Security/Compliance team, not just the Power BI admins.

Reply for the first question:

No additional cost, if you're licensed with Microsoft 365 E5, you're already entitled to use:

Microsoft Purview Information Protection,

Sensitivity labeling (manual and automatic),

Integration with Power BI.

Second one:

Here are the main limitations and considerations:

Sensitivity labels work in Power BI Desktop, Service, and datasets, but may not be supported in some cross-workspace or shared dataset scenarios, depending on tenant settings.
Labels can restrict exports (like Excel/PDF), but enforcement relies on Microsoft Information Protection (MIP). Table-level exports may still be possible unless strict DLP policies are in place.
While Power BI applies encryption and classification, full enforcement depends on Office apps and DLP configurations.
Only one label can be applied per report or dataset, and labels do not auto-inherit between datasets and reports, manual application or policies are needed.
Last one:

Yes, but with conditions:

Once a sensitivity label is published via Microsoft Purview (Compliance Center) to a label policy targeting a user group: Any user in that group (even with Power BI Pro) can view and apply those labels in Power BI Desktop and Service. Labels applied by one user are visible and enforced for others when accessing that content.
However, creating or editing sensitivity labels still requires Microsoft 365 Compliance Center access, not possible with just a Power BI Pro license.

If this solution worked for you, kindly mark it as Accept as Solution and feel free to give a Kudos, it would be much appreciated!

Thank you.

[v-sgandrathi · Accepted solution]

Hi @Roomie117 ,

wanted to follow up on our previous suggestions regarding the issue. We would love to hear back from you to ensure we can assist you further.

If our response has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a ‘Kudos’ so other members can easily find it. Please let us know if there’s anything else we can do to help.

Thank you.

[rohit1991 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Roomie117 ,

To enable and use sensitivity labels in Power BI, particularly with Microsoft Purview integration, administrative configuration is required through the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center or the Microsoft Purview portal. Since you currently don't have access to those portals, you would need to request it from your Microsoft 365 or security administration team, not just your Power BI team. The configuration of sensitivity labels, their publishing, and policy enforcement are centrally managed at the tenant level and typically handled by compliance or security admins.

Regarding cost, sensitivity labeling in Power BI is included with Microsoft E5, so no additional licensing is required beyond what the E5 already covers. However, if advanced features such as auto-labeling or content marking for non-Microsoft apps are needed, those may fall under other Purview capabilities, which could potentially require separate licensing depending on your organization’s setup.

As for limitations, while sensitivity labels in Power BI can protect data from export and enforce Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) policies, they currently do not support fine-grained row-level security or prevent users from viewing data if they have access to the report. They primarily manage data classification, labeling, and downstream data protection, especially during exports.

Once an admin enables and configures sensitivity labels and publishes them for use in Power BI, other users with Power BI Pro licenses can view and apply those labels, assuming they are covered by the published label policies. Additionally, if a dataset or report already has a sensitivity label applied, downstream content like reports and dashboards can inherit those labels, depending on inheritance settings enabled by the admin.

[v-sgandrathi · Accepted solution]

Hi @Roomie117,

You mentioned you do not have access to Microsoft 365 Compliance Center or the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

You will need to contact your Microsoft 365 Security or Compliance Admins, not just the Power BI team. Only those with appropriate roles in Microsoft Purview (like Compliance Admin or Security Admin) can create and publish sensitivity labels.

So yes, request access or coordination from the Microsoft 365 or Security/Compliance team, not just the Power BI admins.

Reply for the first question:

No additional cost, if you're licensed with Microsoft 365 E5, you're already entitled to use:

Microsoft Purview Information Protection,

Sensitivity labeling (manual and automatic),

Integration with Power BI.

Second one:

Here are the main limitations and considerations:

Sensitivity labels work in Power BI Desktop, Service, and datasets, but may not be supported in some cross-workspace or shared dataset scenarios, depending on tenant settings.
Labels can restrict exports (like Excel/PDF), but enforcement relies on Microsoft Information Protection (MIP). Table-level exports may still be possible unless strict DLP policies are in place.
While Power BI applies encryption and classification, full enforcement depends on Office apps and DLP configurations.
Only one label can be applied per report or dataset, and labels do not auto-inherit between datasets and reports, manual application or policies are needed.
Last one:

Yes, but with conditions:

Once a sensitivity label is published via Microsoft Purview (Compliance Center) to a label policy targeting a user group: Any user in that group (even with Power BI Pro) can view and apply those labels in Power BI Desktop and Service. Labels applied by one user are visible and enforced for others when accessing that content.
However, creating or editing sensitivity labels still requires Microsoft 365 Compliance Center access, not possible with just a Power BI Pro license.

If this solution worked for you, kindly mark it as Accept as Solution and feel free to give a Kudos, it would be much appreciated!

Thank you.

[v-sgandrathi · Accepted solution]

Hi @Roomie117 ,

wanted to follow up on our previous suggestions regarding the issue. We would love to hear back from you to ensure we can assist you further.

If our response has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a ‘Kudos’ so other members can easily find it. Please let us know if there’s anything else we can do to help.

Thank you.

[v-sgandrathi]

Hi @Roomie117,

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if your query was answered.
Otherwise, will respond back with the more details and we will try to help .

If our response has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a ‘Kudos’ so other members can easily find it. Please let us know if there’s anything else we can do to help.

Thank you.

[v-sgandrathi]

Hi @Roomie117,

As we did not get a response, may I know if the above reply could clarify your issue, or could you please help confirm if we may help you with anything else?

And if the provided information meets your requirements, you can Accept the solution and also give Kudos on that reply. It helps other users who are searching for this same information and find the information.

Your understanding and patience will be appreciated.