Microsoft’s Bing told by China to suspend auto-suggest search feature for 30 days
- The Bing search engine, which censors its results in mainland China, is accessible in the country, unlike rival Google
- Microsoft recently pulled LinkedIn from China and introduced a new job search app without a social feed
China has ordered Microsoft’s Bing search engine to pause its auto-suggest feature for 30 days, the US company said on Friday, dealing a new complication for the firm after it replaced its LinkedIn platform in the country with a special app that has no social feed.
Microsoft, the world’s second largest company by market cap, announced in a post on Chinese social media platform WeChat that “Bing China has been required by the relevant government agency to suspend the search auto-suggestion feature in mainland China for 30 days”, without elaborating on the reason.
“Bing is a global search platform and remains committed to respect the rule of law and users’ right to access information and to help users find information to the greatest extent feasible under applicable laws,” Microsoft said.
LinkedIn launches China-only app without social feed
The development reflects Microsoft’s continued struggles in complying with Beijing’s increasingly strict data regulations and online censorship requirements.
It comes two days after LinkedIn, Microsoft’s professional networking and job searching site, launched a China-only app named InCareer. Microsoft said in October it would pull its global platform from mainland China because of “a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements”.
Mainland China has become increasingly difficult for foreign online services to operate in as Beijing has tightened its control over data and online content. Google, operator of the world’s top search engine, cancelled its search service in China in 2010 after the company refused to meet the government’s requirements.
Still, some US tech firms – including Apple and Tesla – have managed to maintain a strong business presence in China by complying with local laws and regulations. Unlike Google, Bing remains accessible in the world’s second largest economy, although its search results are strictly censored.
LinkedIn’s China retreat stems from regulatory and competitive pressures
Bing currently holds a 4 per cent share in China’s search engine market. In January 2020, the country contributed less than 2 per cent of Microsoft’s annual revenue, or around US$2 billion, according to company president Brad Smith.
