The “Information is needed about data privacy” prompt appears in Power Query whenever a query attempts to combine or evaluate two different data sources that do not have explicitly assigned privacy levels. Excel halts execution to prevent sensitive data from one source from inadvertently leaking to an untrusted external destination.
Quick Answer:
To stop the popup permanently for your current workbook, go to Data > Get Data > Query Options. Under Current Workbook, select Privacy, choose Ignore the Privacy levels and potentially improve performance, and click OK. For a permanent fix across all future files, set this under Global > Privacy.
Why the Privacy Dialog Appears
Power Query isolates external connections through a security mechanism known as the Data Mashup Engine Firewall. When a query merges, appends, or references data across multiple locations, such as a local workbook and an external API, or a SharePoint list and a SQL database, the firewall checks whether data from a private container could be exposed to an external system.
If the privacy level for either source is set to “None” or has never been declared, Excel halts the query and displays the prompt:
“Information is needed about data privacy.”
Clicking Continue takes you to a screen where you must designate each source as Public, Organizational, or Private. If you do this once, Excel saves the permission in your local cache. However, if source file paths are dynamic, parameters change, or you move the file to another machine, the prompt returns.
Solution 1: Disable Privacy Levels (Quickest Resolution)
If you work exclusively with internal files, trusted corporate databases, or local spreadsheets where external data exfiltration is not an operational risk, disabling the firewall checks eliminates the prompt for good.
- In Excel, go to the Data tab on the ribbon.
- Select Get Data > Query Options.
- In the left navigation pane, look at the two Privacy sections:
- To fix only this workbook: Under Current Workbook, click Privacy. Select Ignore the Privacy levels and potentially improve performance.
- To stop the prompt for all workbooks on this computer: Under Global, click Privacy. Select Always ignore Privacy Level settings.
- Click OK and refresh your queries.
(Note: For enterprise environments where unvetted data movement is strictly regulated, review Understanding the “Ignore Privacy Levels” setting: Risks and Rewards before applying this globally.)
Solution 2: Assign Consistent Privacy Levels (Secure Method)
If organizational compliance rules prevent you from disabling privacy levels, you must define the levels explicitly so the engine stops asking.
- Go to Data > Get Data > Data Source Settings.
- Select Global permissions (or Data sources in current workbook).
- Select each data source involved in the query, then click Edit Permissions.
- Under Privacy Level, change the setting from None to either:
- Organizational: For internal file shares, enterprise databases, and corporate SharePoint sites.
- Private: For sensitive HR, financial, or personally identifiable data.
- Public: For public internet endpoints and open data feeds.
- Click Save and then Close.
When two combined sources share compatible levels (such as two sources both configured as Organizational), the mashup engine executes the merge without interruption. If levels mismatch, read How to fix Privacy Level Mismatches: Public vs. Organizational vs. Private to configure allowable data boundaries.
What to Do If the Prompt Keeps Returning
If you have already set the privacy levels or selected “Ignore,” but the dialog reappears every time the file opens or refreshes:
1. Clear Corrupted Data Source Cache
A stale credential or an outdated file path in your cached permissions will trigger repeated security checks.
- Go to Data > Get Data > Data Source Settings.
- Check both Data sources in current workbook and Global permissions.
- Look for duplicate entries (e.g., the same network folder listed under both a mapped drive letter like
Z:\and a UNC path like\\server\share). - Select the duplicate or broken paths and click Clear Permissions.
- Detailed cleanup steps can be found in Managing Data Source Settings: How to clear and reset Global Permissions.
2. Check for Dynamic Path Invocations
If your M-code builds connection strings dynamically, such as concatenating folder paths using cell values or custom functions, Power Query treats each computed path as an undeclared source. To resolve this, structure your M queries so the base connection (Folder.Files or File.Contents) references a static root directory, and filter downstream using standard table operations.
3. Inspect for Formula.Firewall Failures
If dismissing the dialog immediately triggers a calculation break instead of loading data, the engine has moved from an informational prompt to an active block. See Formula.Firewall: Data privacy settings prevent combining sources for the specific architectural steps required to isolate queries.