Google accuses Microsoft of search copying
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
![Head shot of Andrew Feinberg](https://static.independent.co.uk/static-assets/support-us/andrew-feinberg.png)
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
Google has accused Microsoft of "cheating" by copying its search engine results and regurgitating them on its rival product, Bing.
The companies engaged in chatty exchanges yesterday , with employees sniping at one another on blogs and via Twitter.
Amit Singhal, a senior software engineer at Google, posted an official blog explaining how his team had caught Microsoft out by deliberately posting rogue results which later appeared on Bing. In one case, Google made the nonsensical term "delhipublicschool40 chdjob" return a completely unrelated suggestion for the website of a credit union in Ohio, only for the same result to soon begin appearing on Bing.
Bing's vice-president, Harry Shum, shot back, saying the method involved was one of hundreds it used to produce results.
Jon Crowcroft, a professor of communication systems at Cambridge University who sits on Microsoft's advisory board, said: "I don't think Google are genuinely surprised. I think it's a shot across the bows of Microsoft."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments