Change in privacy policy

Today we are pleased to present an important change in the policy of storing sensitive data obtained through Bing . We will delete the IP address data associated with the search query after 6 months, instead of the current 18. This change will be included in the current privacy policy, which now provides reliable protection for Bing users.

This change is the result of a number of factors, including the satisfaction of business needs, the current competitive environment and our ongoing dialogue with human rights defenders, consumers, as well as EU regulations related to data protection.

In accordance with the current policy, when Bing processes a search query, Microsoft immediately takes steps to de-identify the data, separating the request data from the account data, information about which can be used to determine the identity.
Then, after 18 months, we will delete the IP address, the “ownerless” cookies and other identifiers left over from the search query. The main points of the new policy will remain the same. Our new policy changes the IP address information retention period and sets it to 6 months. In the next 12-18 months, we will adopt a new policy.
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The following figure explains our approach:


There are many reasons to save and view search query data. Exploring search trends helps us improve search quality, protect against fraudsters, and maintain a safe and sustainable business. But private life, above all! We constantly study our experience in order to establish a balance and achieve both goals.

We support working group 29 of the article (European national data protection regulators) and its leadership on this important issue and look forward to continuing the fruitful dialogue with them and other interested parties.