Bing's Porn Content Gets NSFW Server

By Kevin Parrish, published on June 15, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: , , , | Themes: The Internet
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Last week we reported that Microsoft's Bing "decision" engine can track down and play an impressive "wall of porn," displaying actual thumbnail-sized clips of video when end-users place the mouse cursor over the desired clip.

Microsoft has taken quite a bit of heat over this eye-opening feature, even provoking Bing's general manager Mike Nichols to speak out and remind consumers that, hey, Bing filters the naughtiness by default.

But to make sure Bing offers even more control to its users, Microsoft said today that it has implemented two changes that should help keep the explicit material at bay. "First, potentially explicit images and video content will now be coming from a separate single domain, explicit.bing.net," said Mike Nichols. He added that this new server will actually be invisible to the end-user, but should allow filtering by domain regardless of what the SafeSearch settings might be. In other words, if someone turns off SafeSearch, explicit material can still be filtered via the source domain.

Microsoft will also begin returning source url information in the query string for images and video content. Companies that already use this type of filter can now catch explicit content on Bing along with everything else they are already blocking for their customers. Nichols presented an image and an example url in the blog, however the returned result only pulled up a dog... really.

Unfortunately, Bing doesn't offer hard-core settings to keep resourceful children from unlocking the SafeSearch feature. For now, parents will need to install a 3rd party solution that will monitor things while their kids surf the net. Perhaps Microsoft will devise of a plan soon that will enable the ability to turn SafeSearch off only if users are logged in to a validated MSN account.

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Comments

aspireonelover 06/16/2009 3:25 AM
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awnnn....

oersis 06/16/2009 3:26 AM
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i agree with loggin method

dragonfang18 06/16/2009 4:02 AM
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Wow... people used it for porn so much it took this much time for them to respond back to it.... I am IMPRESSED! Good job guys!

falchard 06/16/2009 4:05 AM
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I love BING, it is a very impressive search engine.

dragonfang18 06/16/2009 4:19 AM
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me 2 I use it second to google.

cruiseoveride 06/16/2009 4:42 AM
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whats the deal with sex anyways.

A 10 yr old has probably seen what Rambo can do with a machine gun

You can enlist in the army at the age of 17 and start killing people. but you aren't allowed to drink until you're 21.

The legal system in the US is seriously flawed.

Ciuy 06/16/2009 4:43 AM
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ta152h 06/16/2009 5:11 AM
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NuclearShadow 06/16/2009 5:18 AM
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Well Ciuy there are many reasons. Children shouldn't be exposed to sexual content at young ages and should be old enough to be taught responsibility and fully grasp what sex is before being exposed to it. There is no doubt that the average age of when kids first have sex is shrinking and this is no doubt because of our culture overwhelming with sexual messages. The last thing we need is to expose our children to porn and make the problem worse.

Also your a foolish bigot. Take your homophobic comments elsewhere.

ravewulf 06/16/2009 5:20 AM
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Ciuy :
i dont get it, whats so bad if children see a porn site???? WTF they get cancer or what?Jesus let them see wtf to do and how, filter the homosexual content and stuff only ...


I'm gay, have a bit of tact OK?

I personally like porn, but it is probably best to "protect the children." Although that's not to say resourceful older teens who are actively searching for the stuff won't be able to get at it (I know I was able to ;) )

NuclearShadow 06/16/2009 5:21 AM
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Oh and also Ciuy its common for pedophiles to show children pornography and since you seem to think its a good idea... I certainly wouldn't trust you with any kids.

okibrian 06/16/2009 7:08 AM
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I got an idea; we should block all porn with a filter and call it "Green Dam." Another idea is parents can look after their kids and stop blaming everyone else.

leafblower29 06/16/2009 7:10 AM
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Ciuy :
i dont get it, whats so bad if children see a porn site???? WTF they get cancer or what? Jesus let them see wtf to do and how, filter the homosexual content and stuff only ...



Kids aren't gonna look up that stuff anyhow so why argue?

knightofmars 06/16/2009 7:26 AM
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NuclearShadow, check your facts. Over the last two decades the number of "kids" having sex earlier has declined. Also, the odds that they will use a condom their first time has increased. The proliferation of so called "sexual messages" has been offset by sex education and the wonderful global message board known as the internet that you and I are corresponding on right now.

mrubermonkey 06/16/2009 7:29 AM
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Parents should hire a screening nanny that stays with the children while they surf online and checks the output for every input the children put in before the children can view the results to make sure the childrens' minds do not get warped by any unauthorized content. Not. Get it. That was a "not" joke.

war2k9 06/16/2009 7:41 AM
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Alright MS finally hit a home run, who knew microsoft knows how to put a search engine together. Google Watch Out.

traken 06/16/2009 8:30 AM
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What's the difference between Bing and Google with respect to having to log in? None, AFAICT.

So... why does Bing seem to be getting all the heat?

Anonymous 06/16/2009 8:36 AM
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This phobia about kids and sexual content is all very american, it's a non-issue on the other side of the pond. As for myself I'd rather my kids look at porn than the evening news, it's less likely to scar the for life.

It's a sick and twisted society we live in when the kind of violence we've made common in our entertainment gets at best a shrug but even a hint of physical love is somehow dangerous and bad.

cyberkuberiah 06/16/2009 10:13 AM
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Bing is the final word in debauchery .

if u have msn account -> only then safe search off -> only then the adult? material .

look how microsoft could actually use porn as a bait to draw users towards msn .

Dont do that , and let it remain a great adult search engine , of which it really is a "breakthrough" porn server !

nelson_nel 06/16/2009 1:43 PM
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"Unfortunately, Bing doesn't offer hard-core settings to keep resourceful children from unlocking the SafeSearch feature."

Pathetic quote. Point me to the search engine that DOES do this? How is it unfortunate if we never had it to begin with. Unless there is some hyper tucked away engine I haven't heard of?

p05esto 06/16/2009 4:02 PM
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crockdaddy 06/16/2009 5:07 PM
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When I think "children" I am thinking under 13 as far as whom I would ABSOLUTELY not want to see porn. I know most of my friends had already seen porn once the teen years started. Not saying it was good/bad. I am just saying it is what it is. I would strongly prefer the young children not have any access to porn ... but that by and large will be up to me THE PARENT(s) ... to be a PARENT. So .. as a parent be AWARE and INVOLVED with your children and they will likely prosper regardless of porn or no porn. I am a PARENT and I am AWARE and INVOLVED with my children's lives daily. So I have a good idea what I am talking about.

grieve 06/16/2009 7:20 PM
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My son is 13 and to be honest if Playboy comes up i would be OK with it... Its the hardcore which i think is an issue for kids (13 and below). I don't want him to get the wrong ideas.

you can die for your coutry @ 18 but can't drink till 21.... That is pretty F'd. In Canada drinking is 18... but most people start grade 8-9-10

fulle 06/16/2009 7:52 PM
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Nice. Now, all you'd have to do at home to keep the kiddies out, is Set OpenDNS up, and block the explicit.bing.com domain. Pretty easy stuff...

ThePatriot 06/16/2009 8:55 PM
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Bing!!..... for all your porn thing. ;)
Sure this is a MS product?

They did something right?

Unbelievable....

azetec 06/16/2009 11:32 PM
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I'm using Bing.com only for the porn preview feature, if they start filtering porn then I will not be interested anymore in Bing.com.

martin0642 06/17/2009 6:52 AM
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kids have been sitting next to boinking parents in teepees for 10k years, stop trying to pretend that life's most natural act is going to damage them.

redeye 06/17/2009 3:54 PM
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childen won't be affected by playboy magazine, etc...(and girl-on-girl porn) but they will be affected by 'facials' (i.e ahhhh drop'n loads...) and anything thing degrading, and humiliating)
but then again that stuff is only available on the file sharing sites...

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