Microsoft says error led to no matching Bing images for Tiananmen 'tank man'

Microsoft Corp. on Friday blamed "accidental human error" for its Bing search engine not showing results for the query "tank man" in the United States and elsewhere after users raised concerns about possible censorship around the Tiananmen Square crackdown anniversary. Users, including in Germany and Singapore, reported Friday that when they performed the search Bing returned the message, "There are no results for tank man." Hours after Microsoft acknowledged the issue, the same search returned only pictures of tanks elsewhere in the world. "Tank man" is often used to describe an unidentified person famously pictured standing before tanks in China's Tiananmen Square during pro-democracy demonstrations in June 1989. Microsoft said the issue was "due to an accidental human error and we are actively working to resolve this."