Why I won’t be using the Bing iOS app anymore

December 10, 2015 John Obeto

On Thursday, my #1 Son – chronologically, as instituted by Charlie Chan.. – asked me why the Bing iOS app was asking for a lot.

Since I had recommended Bing to him, I decided to do the same: sign into Bing using my Microsoft Account.

Saying I was floored by the level of access the Bing app requires, is an understatement of the highest order.

I have attached a screenshot of the requirements in the image, and tried to understand it below.

Why, for the love of John, does Bing require this?

Signing in with my Microsoft Account will auto-sign me into the app.

No problem here. This, I do not mind doing.

Bing will see all email addresses in my profile.

“…all the email addresses in my profile.”

Just what, is the usefulness of this. I have allowed access to my account. Shouldn’t that be enough?

Bing will be able to see my profile info, including my name, gender, display photo, contacts, and friends.

This is where it starts getting creepy. It needs to be able to see my contacts, gender, and friends.

Why?

Bing will be able to access, change, and add or delete my photos and documents on OneDrive.

Access and edit my stored photos and documents. Why is this? Delete my photos and documents too?

Bing will be able to see and update my info, even when I am NOT using the app.

“…able to see and update my info, even when I am NOT using the app.”

Seriously, what the funk?

Why does it need to update my info when I am NOT using the app. Why? A spurious update from where, exactly?

Bing will be able to see my files and those shared with me on OneDrive.

The madness continues: in order to use Bing with my Microsoft Account, it needs access to all my data stored on OneDrive? Really?

Bing will be able to open and edit files in the Apps/Bing folder.

Well, whatever. Actually, no. This allows Bing to possibly store and execute plugins, including 3^rd-party plugins on my OneDrive?

This entire thing is pure BS.

It becomes even more invidious when you realize that the Bing app is supposed to be a basic search app.

A search app, for goodness sakes!

That’s all.

If it has greater aspirations, those goals aren’t conveyed or explicitly divulged to the user.

This is completely infra dig, and quite uncharacteristic of the Microsoft I have interacted with for the past couple of decades.

This, is ridiculous.

I will not be using the Bing iOS any further.

I have deleted it from my iOS devices, and of those in my household. I have also banished it from all iOS devices used by my family.

Today, Microsoft released their Cortana app for iOS.

I will download, and use it.

If you need me to spell out the reason why, ping me.