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Bing Versus Tank Man
Is Microsoft Censoring Anti-Chinese Government Content?
Do you recognize this photo?
Probably. It is one of the most famous, iconic, and memorable photos ever. Time magazine rated it as one of the 100 “most influential” photos ever. In 2016, Esquire magazine ranked it as the 15th “most remarkable” photo ever taken.
The photo was taken on June 5, 1989, after the Tiananmen Square protest. Chinese students were staging a peaceful demonstrating in support of democratic reforms when the government launched a violent crackdown. While the exact figure is unknown, it is estimated that hundreds or thousands of unarmed civilians were killed by the Chinese military. Tank Man — whose true identity is unknown — was photographed and videotaped as he blocked tanks that participated in the operation.
Despite all this — its dramatic impact, stirring composition, and historic relevance — Microsoft somehow managed to forget this photo existed.
On the afternoon of June 4th, 2021, folks on Twitter caught wind that something was amiss about Bing’s image search results. Searching “Tiananmen Square” retrieved only images of the brilliant red palace — no sign of the historic massacre. The contrast with Google’s image search results was stark.
