Bing Privacy Supplement
(last updated November 2011)
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Note that this page is a supplement to the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement. In order to understand the data collection and use practices relevant for a particular site or service, you should read both the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement and any applicable supplement.
On This Page
The Information We Collect
When you conduct a search, Microsoft will collect the search terms you provide, along with your IP address, the unique identifiers contained in the cookies, the time and date of your search, and your browser configuration. We will attempt to derive your approximate location based on your IP address, and will use that information to display search results tailored to your geographic location. You can change your default location by clicking on the "Options" link on the search page. Your location and other search settings are stored in a cookie on your machine. If you are using a mobile device and have allowed Bing to use your current location, we will also collect your approximate latitude and longitude.
Use of Search Information
We use this information to provide you with relevant search results. We also use the information we collect to maintain and improve the quality, security and integrity of our services. For example we may use this information for research purposes and to improve the relevancy of Search results. This information is also necessary in order to detect and protect against security threats such as botnet attacks, click fraud, worms, and other threats.
Finally, as described in the Display of Advertising section of the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement, we may use search query data for the purpose of personalizing the ads we display to you as you use our services or those of our advertising partners. The search terms you enter in Search are categorized and certain user segments are inferred based on those terms. For example, if you search on terms associated with sports, we may associate a “sports segment” with the unique identifier contained in your cookie, and you will then be more likely to see ads related to sports.
Use of Cookies
When you use Search we may place a cookie on your machine which contains a unique identifier known as the Search ID. If you have previously signed into a Microsoft site or service using a Windows Live ID, we may also read one or more additional unique identifiers contained in other Microsoft cookies when you conduct a search. You can use your browser settings to remove or block cookies on your computer.
Storage and Retention of Search Information
We store our Search service search terms (and the cookie IDs associated with search terms) separately from any account information that directly identifies the user, such as name, e-mail address, or phone numbers. Further, we have built-in technological and procedural safeguards designed to prevent the unauthorized correlation of this data. We take additional steps to protect the privacy of stored search information by removing the entirety of the IP address after 6 months, cookies and other cross session identifiers, after 18 months.
Sharing of Search Information
We may share some search query data with selected third parties for research purposes. Before we do so, we remove all unique identifiers such as IP addresses and cookie IDs from the data. We also run the data through a process designed to remove identifiable information that users may have included in the search terms themselves (such as social security numbers or credit card numbers). Additionally, we require these third parties to keep the data secure and to not use the data for any other purposes.
Search History
Using the search terms you enter and the results you click on, Search History provides an easy way to revisit the sites and searches you've used before. You may remove your search history from appearing on the site by following the steps provided here. Removing your history removes it from the Search History service and prevents that history from being displayed on the site, but does not delete information from our standard search logs, which are retained and anonymized as described above.
Bing Mobile Applications and Location-Based Services
If you’ve allowed a Bing mobile application to access your location, when you conduct a search, the approximate location of your device will be sent to Microsoft along with the search terms, time and date of your search and a unique identifier generated by the application. This information will be used to provide and improve search and mapping results.
Refer to the documentation that came with your device for information about how to turn off location for an application. If you turn off or disable location for the Bing application or the browser that you use to go to m.bing.com, you will stop sharing your device's location with Bing.
When you sign into and use the location-based services, “Check-in” and “Reminders”, Microsoft stores the approximate location of your device along with your Windows Live ID. The location information is used to provide relevant search results, offer you deals for local businesses, and operate and improve our services. To disable access to your device’s location by these services, go to the settings menu of the Bing application and turn location to “Off.”
When you use a third party “Binglet” within a Bing application, information you provide to the Binglet is shared with the third party named in it. For details about the third party’s information collection and usage practices, see the privacy policy on their web site. Bing doesn’t separately collect or store information provided to a third party Binglet.
Non-Microsoft Services that use Bing
You may access Bing search services when using other non-Microsoft sites or services. These sites may use the Bing API, which allows them to provide both Bing search and search results to their users. Bing will only use search information in keeping with this supplement. You should refer to the privacy policy of the site for any questions about their information collection and usage practices.
Search Services for Yahoo!
Bing provides search services to Yahoo! and its users. In order to provide these services, Bing receives certain search related information from Yahoo!. This information includes date, time, IP Address, a unique identifier and other search related data. When we receive a search query and the related information from Yahoo!, we treat it in accordance with Yahoo!’s retention and de-identification practice which includes the full deletion of the IP Address from most log files at ninety days. Information provided as part of the search services is used to help select the advertising you see within the search experience.
Facebook Personalization on Bing
Bing uses Facebook Connect to provide a more relevant and useful social search experience for Facebook users that takes your Facebook social network into account, as permitted by your Facebook privacy settings. To opt-in to enhanced social search features using Facebook Connect, click on the Facebook icon on the top right of the Bing page. Bing uses the social network information we receive from Facebook only to operate and improve the services we provide to you.
If you want to disable these features later and prevent Bing from using your Facebook information to personalize your experience, log in to Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=111239619098, and then click the link Block App on the left side of the page.
You can opt back in by clicking on the Facebook icon on the top right of the Bing page. For more information about these features, click here.
Bing Bar
The Bing Bar gives you a quick, convenient way to search the internet, check your email, weather forecasts, traffic reports, road maps, and Facebook. (Some features may not be available in your country or region). When you use the Bing Bar, certain information is collected and shared with Microsoft and used in order to operate the Bing Bar services and to help improve Bing Bar and other Microsoft products and services. You may also choose to participate in optional programs such as the Bing Bar Experience Improvement program that, as described in more detail below, collects additional information including information about your computer, your searches, addresses of websites you visit, and how you use Bing Bar. If you elect not to participate in the Improvement Program more limited information will be collected.
When you install the Bing Bar we collect information that tells us if the Bing Bar was installed properly, the installation date, the Bing Bar version and other information about your computer such as the operating system and browser. This information will be collected on a regular basis to help us determine the number of users of the Bing Bar and issues associated with different versions of the Bing Bar and different systems. When you click on buttons and interact with the Bing Bar, we will collect this information to assist in improving the Bing Bar features.
Bing Bar and issues associated with different versions of the Bing Bar and different systems. When you click on buttons and interact with the Bing Bar, we will collect this information to assist in improving the Bing Bar features.
When you visit a Microsoft site with the Bing Bar installed, a cookie may be generated and shared with other Microsoft sites. The cookie includes information about the Bing Bar version and install date to help Microsoft determine whether or not to provide you with additional information about the Bing Bar and any updated versions. When InPrivate browsing is selected the Bing Bar does not collect or send any data to us unless you specifically re-enable Bing Bar in that browsing session. You can learn more about how to use InPrivate here.
The Bing Bar provides a number of features and services which collect and use additional information. Those Bing Bar features and services are described below:
| • | Searching with the Bing Bar. When you type a query in the Bing Bar, that information will be sent to Microsoft to provide you with the search results you are requesting. We use and protect this information as described at the top of this Supplement. | ||||||
| • | Autosuggest. The characters that you type into the Bing Bar will be sent to Microsoft in order to provide you with real-time Search Suggestions. | ||||||
| • | Bing Bar Experience Improvement Program. If you’ve chosen to participate in the Bing Bar Experience Improvement program, information about the websites that you visit and how you use Bing Bar will be sent to Microsoft. This information helps us to improve the quality and performance of our products and services and to help prevent spam and phishing scams from reaching your inbox. While the Bing Bar is enabled, the information about the websites accessed by the browser Bing Bar is installed on is collected to improve search ranking and relevance and the performance of Bing services. To help protect your privacy we do not use any of the information collected through the Bing Bar Experience Improvement Program to identify, contact or target advertising to you, and we take steps to store such information separately from any account information we may have that directly identifies you, such as name, e-mail address, or phone numbers. Finally, we delete the information collected through the Bing Bar Experience Program at eighteen months. You may stop participating in the program at any time: To stop participating in the program:
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| • | AutoFill. Some older versions of the Bing Bar include an optional feature that can automatically fill out forms on Web sites with information such as your address, passwords, and credit card information so that you do not have to repeatedly type the same information or remember multiple passwords. This information is encrypted and saved on your computer; it is not sent to Microsoft. The Toolbar will prompt you to create a single "form fill password." You must enter the form fill password every time you wish to automatically enter a stored credit card number and once per browser session to automatically enter a stored passwords. |
If you don't see some or all of the features described in this topic, you may have an older version of Bing Bar. To install the latest version of Bing Bar with all the newest features, go to the Bing Bar Download website. You may stop using the Bing Bar at any time. You may also uninstall the Bing Bar from Add/Remove Programs in the Windows Control Panel.