Microsoft, Yahoo Join Forces in Search-Engine Wars

REDMOND, Wash. — Google's created a monster.

Having gone years without a serious challenger to its search-engine throne, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company has spurred perennial second fiddle Yahoo search to join forces with Microsoft's upstart Bing search engine.

The two search engines aren't combining, though. Both sites — Search.Yahoo.com and Bing.com — will still exist, but Microsoft's Bing search will now power Yahoo's. Meanwhile, Yahoo will act as the sole face for all advertisers who want to spend money with the two companies.

The deal will last for 10 years. Both companies are pitching the merger as a necessary response to Google's dominance of the search-engine world, going so far as to launch a website called ChoiceValueInnovation.com to promote the move.

Yahoo and Microsoft are the only other search engines on the market that command any significant percentage of the market. Yahoo gets about 20 percent, while Bing attracts about 8 percent. Yahoo has been a major player on the Internet and in search for years, while tech giant Microsoft launched Bing this year to huge fanfare and surprisingly good reviews.

The adult industry will also possibly benefit from the merger, because Bing will now power Yahoo search. Besides its many good reviews, Bing also attracted attention (and scorn) for its porn-friendliness. Bing's video search returns a grid of video thumbnails that users can play with a simple mouse-over. In addition, Microsoft launched a separate domain, Explicit.Bing.net, to handle explicit content, thereby giving it an enshrined home while also giving system administrators an easy way to filter out adult content at the server level.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Show More