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Is Microsoft Bing imitating Google? See below. (GeekWire File Photo / Todd Bishop)
Searching for “Google” on Microsoft Bing right now (when logged out) brings up a search experience that looks a lot like Google, with a graphic akin to one of the search giant’s signature Doodles, but is actually still Microsoft Bing.
The results page automatically scrolls down slightly, hiding the Microsoft logo.
Microsoft Bing, after searching for “Google.”
This doesn’t happen when logged into a Microsoft account in the browser.
The fine print under the search box does reference Microsoft Bing, in the context of a charitable initiative related to search queries.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Microsoft spoofing the Google homepage is another tactic in its long history of tricks to confuse users & limit choice,” writes Google Chrome VP/GM Parisa Tabriz, in a post on X. “New year; new low @Microsoft.”
The Verge calls it “a clear attempt from Microsoft to make Bing look like Google for this specific search query.”
Windows Latest first spotted the situation, describing it as a “genius move to keep you from Google search.” It’s part of a larger pattern by Microsoft to get Google users to switch to Edge and Bing, taking advantage of their positions as the default browser and search engine in Windows.
GeekWire sent a message to Microsoft seeking comment.
Microsoft faced antitrust claims in the 1990s over allegations of preferential treatment of its Internet Explorer browser in Windows. More recently, Google’s position in the search market has been under the regulatory microscope.
Google’s search market share is around 90%; Bing is in the single digits.
