Enable Outlook VBA Macros to Override and Assign Microsoft Purview Sensitivity Labels

We have implemented Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) for email and document classification with the sensitivity labels Internal, Restricted, Public, and Confidential. As part of our information protection policy, the default sensitivity label configured through Microsoft Purview is Internal for both emails and documents.

As per our organizational requirements, whenever an email is sent to an external domain, users are expected to manually change the sensitivity label from Internal to the appropriate label, such as Public based on the nature of the information being shared.

However, we have a business use case involving Macro automated bulk email communication through Outlook VBA/Object Model (COM Automation). During testing, we observed that emails generated through VBA macros inherit the default Internal label set by Purview, and there is currently no supported method to programmatically assign or override a Microsoft Purview sensitivity label (for example, changing the label from Internal to Public) using the Outlook VBA Object Model.

This limitation impacts our ability to automate bulk email processes while ensuring compliance with our data classification requirements. We would like to understand:

1. Whether Microsoft currently supports assigning or changing Microsoft Purview Sensitivity Labels programmatically through Outlook VBA/Object Model (COM Automation).
2. If not, whether there are any recommended APIs, SDKs, or alternative approaches to apply sensitivity labels to emails generated through automated processes.
3. Whether Microsoft plans to provide native support for sensitivity label assignment through VBA/COM automation in future releases, as this capability would greatly assist organizations using automated email workflows while maintaining compliance with data classification policies.

We believe native support for applying Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels through Outlook automation would be beneficial for organizations leveraging macros and automated email generation processes.

We would appreciate your guidance on the available options and any roadmap information related to this capability.