Microsoft has dialed back its apparent attempts to trick people into using Bing. The tech giant rolled out a change to its search engine recently that showed an interface similar to that of Google if you searched the term "Google." Many, including Google, considered the move deceptive, since Bing presented what was essentially a clone of the Google interface and moved other results lower on the page.
"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. New year; new low," said Google's Chrome lead Parisa Tabriz.
Now, it appears that Microsoft is shifting away from its controversial strategy. If you search for "Google" through Bing, you're less likely to see the clone of Google's interface.
Searching for "Google" in Microsoft Edge (left) and Google Chrome (right) shows different results if you are using private browsing. (Image credit: Future)
In my testing, I was only able to see the Google-esque version of Bing when searching for "Google" within an InPrivate browser tab in Microsoft Edge. Any other combination of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and being logged in or using a private tab showed the normal Bing interface.
Searching for "Google" in Microsoft Edge (left) and Google Chrome (right) shows almost identical results when logged in. (Image credit: Future)
There's a chance that Microsoft is just testing the interface and that results may vary from person to person. As far as I can tell, Microsoft has not commented on the clone of Google's UI publicly.
Microsoft and Google have a rocky relationship that dates back decades, which is hardly surprising considering the size of the companies and how much their services overlap. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that "Google makes more money on Windows than all of Microsoft" due to the dominance of Google's search platform. The Microsoft CEO also argued that Google doesn't play fair with Bing,
Microsoft has tried several tactics to convert users to Bing over the years, including the Bing Wallpaper app prompting people to switch their search engine. Microsoft has used similarly aggressive tactics to push its Edge browser, which has Bing set as the default search engine.
We will continue to monitor this situation surrounding Bing and Google and update this piece with information as details become available.
