Bing video search gets pornography filter

No Badda Bing from Bing's video search - unless you want it
No Badda Bing from Bing's video search - unless you want it

Bing's Smart Motion Preview option has been praised by many as it allows users an instant preview of video content before they even enter a website.

Some mucky minded individuals found, however, that the filtering tools on the search left a lot to be desired – with anyone able to type explicit words into the system, only for free previews of pornography to pop up.

Explicit search

Microsoft has announced that it has put a stop to this by tweaking the way it receives video content.

All explicit material will now be passed through a separate server called explicit.bing.net, which should make it easier for schools and the like to switch off the option to view pornography.

According to Mike Nichols, General Manager of Bing, writing on the Bing blog, "This makes it much easier for filtering software to block unwanted content if SafeSearch has been turned off."

In addition to adding a whole new server to the site, it will also be vetting URLs that come through, so the search engine should "be able to catch explicit content on Bing along with everything else they are already blocking for their customers."

Via the Register

Marc Chacksfield

Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.