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By 2025, it's clear that Google, with its ~90% share of the search engine market, is here to stay, prompting its "closest" competitor, Microsoft's Bing, with a 4% share, to try out every trick on the book in an effort to outdo the search engine Goliath. However, the latest of these tactics has faced significant online backlash, with users ridiculing Bing's strategy to such an extent that even the head of Google Chrome joined the conversation.
First spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft's new strategy involves blatantly copying Google's UI when trying to search for "Google" on Bing, with a similarly looking search bar and an image heavily resembling one's typical Google Doodle. Additionally, Bing's search results page for this specific query automatically and quickly scrolls down to hide its own Bing search bar at the top of the results, further adding to the illusion. While this could be interpreted as a mere homage to Chrome, the most likely explanation is that Microsoft is attempting to deceive users, subtly tricking them into using Bing instead of Google, seemingly aiming to reduce the bounce rate, despite the potential reputational risks involved.
And speaking of those, when the wider community caught wind of Bing's latest shenanigans, the backlash and ridicule were immediate, with the consensus being that copying your competitor's UI was sleazy and pitiful. The debacle even reached Google Chrome's General Manager, Parisa Tabriz, who called out the company for being so petty. "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 and limit choice," Tabriz said. "New year; new low Microsoft."
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