Blocking Bing - How Microsoft Makes Sure We Don't Overreact

When Microsoft's new search engine, Bing, was launched it caused a few shocks amongst web filtering vendors.

Here was a new site, with a comprehensive image and video search, and there was almost no way to block explicit content.

Like other major search engines, Bing has a pretty comprehensive SafeSearch function which prevents the vast majority of unsuitable images from being displayed. However, unlike Google and the rest, Bing uses cookies to set user preferences, not URL parameters. This means that ‘forcing SafeSearch’ as many web filtering vendors do, was not an easy thing to do. Developers went into overdrive to write new rules to deal with Bing cookies and the race was on to deliver support for the new search engine.

Microsoft then stunned everyone with a conscientious show of support for web filtering vendors worldwide. First they changed Bing by adding a URL parameter. Then they took the unprecedented step of serving all explicit content from a specific set of domains. This meant that all but the most simplistic filters could have a fighting chance of taking advantage of SafeSearch.

Our friends at Microsoft, however, were not resting on their laurels. Some vendors also provide an extra level of safety by performing extra filtering (deep URL inspection) on image search results. SafeSearch rarely catches all unsavoury images, but checking the URL that the image originated from enables vendors like SmoothWall to catch more – an important feature in schools, where even the most well-meaning of students can easily stumble across inappropriate content.

Of course it is in Microsoft’s interests to support web filtering vendors – since being "hard to filter" can lead to a blanket ban, something nobody wants. It is however fair to say that their recent pro-active approach has been very well received by Linux-based vendors such as SmoothWall, who describe it as “a clear statement of support for web filtering vendors worldwide.”

Tom Newton, Product Manager at SmoothWall added (somewhat unusually) “Thanks Microsoft, keep up the good work". “Oh, and Bing's not a bad old search engine either.”

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