Bing & AOL Now Blocked. Here are 7 Search Engines to Use Instead

By Matthew Bossons and Ryan Gandolfo

Microsoft-operated search engine Bing is no longer accessible from the Chinese mainland. It is not immediately clear how long the site has been down, but we can personally attest it has been inaccessible since yesterday evening. 

According to a heavily cited article from the Financial Times, Bing is the latest victim of China’s ‘Great Firewall.’ Back in September of last year, the search function of popular platform Yahoo became inaccessible in China, leaving Bing as the only remaining well-known search engine. Aol.com’s search function, which is powered by Bing, is also down. (Other search engines like Ask.com and Duckduckgo.com are also blocked). 

Bye-bye Bing, we hardly knew thee... Screengrab via Google Chrome

Strangely, a quick search on vpnmentor.com – a platform that tracks websites blocked by The Great Firewall – indicates that Bing.com is not blocked in China. Based on reports from people in major Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, this is not accurate and the site is most definitely unavailable.

Screengrab via vpnmentor.com

Bing joins a long list of popular websites that are inaccessible from the PRC, most notable among them: Google and Facebook. 

Search giant Google has had something of an on-again, off-again relationship with the Chinese mainland since 2002, and has been completely blocked since at least 2014. Google’s Middle Kingdom demise had positioned Yahoo – and later Bing – as the main foreign search engine available to people in China. 

Over the past few years, a number of other popular websites and apps have also fallen victim to the Great Firewall, including both Pinterest and Whatsapp in 2017, and Instagram a few years prior to that.

Chinese netizens do not seem thrilled with the demise of Bing, with many taking to Weibo to voice their disappointment. “I thought my Internet was just having issues, so I restarted the Wi-Fi several times. It turns out Bing is blocked? What the f*ck,” wrote one user. Another pondered about the lack of competition, writing “For such a big market how can there be no competition?”

“Right now the market really needs a passable search engine. Who is willing to undertake this great task?” wrote Weibo user @乐天知命刘阿斗.

Browsing the web is no easy task these days. While it may feel like this is the end of times, reinforcements are on the way.

Image via Giphy

When Baidu just won't do, we’ve compiled a list of alternative English search engines still operating within the ‘Great Firewall’ for you to try out, as seemingly every search bar you’ve ever known bids you farewell.

(Bye-bye Bing, it was good while it lasted). 

1. Ecosia.org

Screengrab via Ecosia

Ecosia is a search engine for social good, using their profits to plant trees. And, most importantly, their site is still online in China!

2. English.sogou.com 

Screengrab via Sogou 

Sogou’s English search engine is also a viable option for your Internet browsing, as their English feature does a decent job of getting you the information you need.

3. Swisscows.com

Screengrab via Swisscows

Swisscow brands itself as an answer engine rather than a search engine. The Switzerland-based project is “the efficient alternative for anyone who attaches great importance to data integrity and the protection of privacy,” according to their website.

4. Yandex.com

Screengrab via Yandex

Yandex has been operating search and information services since 1997. Maybe it’s because of the ‘Y’ but this search engine brings us fond memories of Yahoo...

5. Qwant.com

Screengrab via Qwant

Qwant is an intuitive search engine, with search results including news and even Twitter posts related to your search! It’s definitely worth checking out.

6. Searx.me

Screengrab via Searx.me

Searx is a metasearch engine and claims to “never share anything with a third party,” according to their website. While the site’s design won’t blow you away, it will likely get the job done for any trivial search you need. 

7. Dogpile.com

Screengrab via Dogpile.com

Easily our favorite homepage design, dogpile compiles search results from Google and Yahoo! The site even comes with a mascot, Arfie, that ‘fetches’ the results for you.

(Pssst: www2 and www4 dot bing dot com are still working too, for the time being).

[Cover image via Pixabay, Wikimedia]

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