Microsoft’s Bing search engine has run into trouble in China.
“We’ve confirmed that Bing is currently inaccessible in China and are engaged to determine next steps,” a Microsoft spokesman said Thursday.
Bing was the last major foreign search engine operating in China, which has more internet users than any other country. Google pulled out in 2010.
Chinese users first noticed problems late Wednesday, when the phrase “Can’t access Bing” started popping up on social media.
It wasn’t immediately clear why Bing was being blocked. China’s internet regulator didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Microsoft, which recently overtook Apple as the world’s most valuable company, is the latest US tech giant to face difficulties in China.
Top internet platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have been blocked in China for years, blacked out by a vast government censorship apparatus known as the Great Firewall.
This is a developing story
