Bing and DuckDuckGo Experienced and Outage, Users Turn to Google

Error on DuckDuckGo Leads to Search Chaos

On May 23rd 2024, users of Bing and DuckDuckGo found themselves unable to access search results, leading many to rely on Google for their search needs.

DuckDuckGo, known for its privacy-focused search engine, displayed the message: “There was an error displaying the search results. Please try again.” This downtime is tied to Bing, from which DuckDuckGo sources its search results. Consequently, the issue with Bing has directly impacted DuckDuckGo’s functionality.

User Impact

The outage has forced numerous users to redirect their search queries to Google, the data mining giant, raising concerns over privacy and data security for those who prefer more anonymous alternatives. This shift highlights the dependency of DuckDuckGo on Bing for its search results and the ripple effect that issues on one platform can have on another.

Statements from Officials

In response to the outage, a statement on Bing’s website read: “Bing isn’t available right now, but everything should be back to normal very soon.”

Bing’s official site reassured users with a light-hearted note: “It’s not you, it’s us.”

Moving Forward

As Bing works to resolve the issue, users are left with few options but to temporarily switch to Google. The incident serves as a reminder of the interconnected nature of online services and the widespread impact when one experiences technical difficulties.

For now, privacy-conscious users of DuckDuckGo will have to wait patiently for a resolution, hoping for a swift return to normalcy.

The unexpected outage of both Bing and DuckDuckGo has created a temporary disruption in the search engine landscape. As we await a resolution, this incident underscores the importance of having multiple reliable search options available to users.

After several hours, all services were resumed.

Report on Outage Resolution

Update 1:

Microsoft confirmed an issue where users were unable to access the Microsoft Copilot service. The company noted in a post on X, “We are working to isolate the cause of the issue. More information can be found in the admin center under CP795190.”

Update 2:

DuckDuckGo returned online, but Bing.com and Copilot were still experiencing issues. In a new update, Microsoft stated that it continued to isolate the root cause and was “transitioning requests to alternate service components to expedite service recovery.”

Update 3:

Microsoft’s telemetry indicated that the service was continuing to recover. The company noted in the latest update, “We are actively investigating the underlying cause of the issue and will take further mitigation actions as necessary.”

Update 4:

Bing and Copilot started to come back online, but Android, iOS, and Windows apps still did not load.