Writing on the Bing blog, Product Manager Duane Forrester writes that Microsoft is “committed to helping users keep their data safe and secure” and with that in mind Bing will begin encrypting all search data by default from this summer.
Bing will begin to use “https” instead of “http” to facilitate this move. It will protect users’ privacy by hiding what they searched for. Microsoft say “we believe that providing a more secure search experience for our users is important.”
The news comes at a time when public concerns about personal privacy are very high amid the recent revelations of large-scale government surveillance in established Western countries. Microsoft wants to reduce this fear though and convince its users that it is on their side, as a recent video from the company explains.
The use of encryption on Bing doesn’t come without some caveats though. It will be harder for web marketers and site administrators to identify how visitors are finding their products because Bing will no longer expose keyword searches directly. Although Bing will still identify itself to analytics tools, the rest of the data will be protected.
Microsoft is providing alternatives for webmasters including Bing Webmaster Tools. It acknowledges that the change may impact advertising networks and websites but says that providing a secure service for its users is an important aspect of how Bing works.
Presumably, https will now be used going forward from all gateways to Bing. This means that Bing-powered tools such as Microsoft’s own Cortana digital assistant or Bing on iOS will also now carry out your searches more securely. Bing has had the option to use https for around 18 months already but with the secure option now the default users can be confident that their privacy will now be protected when searching with Microsoft.
