Bing: Thanks for the (Shorter) Memory

In a move that should please privacy advocates and regulators including the EC, Microsoft has announced changes to its data storage policy for the Bing search engine. Bing will now keep search data including IP addresses for just six months.

The office software giant says it will delete the stored IP addresses of Bing users after six months, down from the previous 18 months. Peter Cullen, Microsoft's chief privacy strategist, made the announcement in a blog on the site a week ago, adding: 'This change is the result of a number of factors including a continuing evaluation of our business needs, the current competitive landscape and our ongoing dialogue with privacy advocates, consumer groups, and regulators.'

The latter include the Article 29 Working Party, a group of 27 European national data protection regulators charged with providing advice to the European Commission and other EU institutions on data protection. This body has previously issued guidelines and asked search engine providers to limit the time for which they retain IP addresses and other search data, locking horns with Google and others.

Cullen said Microsoft policy also means search query data is separated from account information that could supposedly identify the person searching. On 18 months, it then deletes the IP address, the 'de-identified' cookie ID and any related IDs: this will be lowered to six months by the middle of 2011. Cullen states: 'There are many good reasons to retain and review search data. Studying trends in search queries enables us to improve the quality of our results, protect against fraud and maintain a secure and viable business.'

Commentators have suggested the latest move may constitute an attempt to head off further disputes with the EC, with whom Microsoft has recently tried to wrap up a long-running and high profile antitrust case over the inclusion of Internet Explorer with Windows; the body also fined the company around $631m (£386m) in 2004 for allegedly monopolistic business practices. Microsoft has particular reason to avoid potential banana skins with the Commission, which is examining its proposed tie-in with Yahoo! and has said it could reach a decision by next month (February 19).

Web sites: www.microsoft.com and www.ec.europa.eu .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.