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Bing Recommends Piracy Tutorial When Searching For Office 2019 (zdnet.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the step-by-step dept.

aafrn writes: Microsoft is sending users who search for Office 2019 download links via its Bing search engine to a website that teaches them the basics about pirating the company's Office suite. This happens every time users search for the term "office 2019 download" on Bing. The result is a Bing search card (highlighted search results) that links to a piracy tutorial that teaches users how to install uTorrent, download a torrent file, and install an Office crack file. Fortunately, the torrent download links are down, but experts believe the link was used to spread malware.

3 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. It's not obvious how you get Office by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It doesn't come with any install media. Visiting the Office website, you get strung along through a bunch of pages trying to sell you Office 365 subscriptions. At the end of your rope, you then ask a search engine to find it and eventually you get in the back way (through the Microsoft Store, not the Microsoft Office official website). Working as intended.

  2. Disingenuous by Excelcia · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This isn't "Microsoft sending", this is Bing's algorithm categorizing that search result. This is not news. If I were to list all the "_________ download" searches that listed a torrent or instructions for how to find something for free as the first item, this would be a long post.

    This is a non-story. Why am I even bothering to take the time t

  3. Could be worse by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    For all MS cares this is still better than Bing pointing to a page detailing how Libre/Open Office is superior.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.