Live
- Wandering through the charming streets and alleys of Philadelphia
- Rayalaseema and South Coastal Andhra to receive rains from November 12 amid surface circulation
- How thoughtful design shapes our homes and future
- The Indian cricket cap has very little value
- Four leaders appointed to various nominated posts
- Transforming stress into personal growth
- Meat for Kids
- ‘DAG’ (Goodbye) Amstelveen, Amsterdam!
- A captivating Kuchipudi ballet celebrating divine love and valour
- A new era of economic renaissance in India
Microsoft says Bing search engine blocked in China
Microsoft Corps Bing search engine has been blocked inChina,the company said on January 23, making it the latest foreign technology service to be shut down behind the countrys Great Firewall
Microsoft Corp's Bing search engine has been blocked in China, the company said on January 23, making it the latest foreign technology service to be shut down behind the country's Great Firewall.
“We've confirmed that Bing is currently inaccessible in China and are engaged to determine next steps,” the company said in a statement.
It is the U.S. technology giant's second setback in China since November 2017 when its Skype internet phone call and messaging service was pulled from Apple and Android app stores. A search performed on Bing's China website — cn.bing.com — from within mainland China directs the user to a page that says the server cannot be reached.
The Financial Times, citing a source, reported on January 23, that China Unicom, a major state-owned telecommunication company, had confirmed the government order to block the search engine. Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), a government watchdog, did not respond to faxed questions about Bing's blocked website.
Online information deleted
Bing was the only major foreign search engine accessible from within China's so-called Great Firewall. Microsoft censored search results on sensitive topics, in accordance with government policy. Microsoft also has a partnership with Chinese data center provider 21Vianet to offer its products Azure and Office 365 to clients in the country.
Alphabet's Google search platform has been blocked in China since 2010. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in December it has “no plans” to relaunch a search engine in China though it is continuing to study the idea amid increased scrutiny of big tech firms.
President Xi Jinping has accelerated control of the internet in China since 2016, as the ruling Communist Party seeks to crack down on dissent in the social media landscape.
In a statement on January 23, CAC said it had deleted more than 7 million pieces of online information and 9,382 mobile apps. It also criticized technology company Tencent's news app for spreading “vulgar information.”
