Microsoft has rolled out a custom Bing search engine for schools, allowing administrators to enable an ad-free version of Bing with privacy controls and filters that block adult content.
Microsoft first debuted this program in August — back then it was called “Bing for Schools” — to 4.5 million students in a select number of schools, but now is making the newly-coined “Bing in the Classroom” available to any K-12 institution in the U.S.
“Along with providing educational enhancements, Bing in the Classroom removes ads and blocks searches from being used for personalized advertising for all Bing.com searches done through the school’s network, making Bing the only major search engine to provide a search offering tailored specifically for the classroom,” Bing wrote today in a blog post.
Microsoft is also still offering a deal that allows schools to earn points via Bing Rewards and win free Surface tablets by simply using Bing (those not participating in Bing in the Classroom are also eligible). In addition, the company continues to provide a daily literacy plans for teachers.
The Bing in the Classroom program is no doubt a way for Microsoft to move students away from using Google and instead search the web with Bing. The focus on privacy and advertising is no surprise, as Microsoft certainly hasn’t been shy about calling out Google for its privacy practices.
Head here to sign up for Bing in the Classroom.
