Telecom giant Verizon has peremptorily removed the option to use Google for smartphone searches on its network in favor of Microsoft’s Bing, angering some users and complicating the picture for search engine optimization (SEO) professionals who target mobile device users.
Previously, Verizon smart phone users were able to choose their default search provider from several candidates, including Google and Wikipedia, but those options have been excised. Tech news website The Register reports that a forum thread on CrackBerry.com had reached 36 pages in length by last weekend, and that many users were unhappy with the loss of their search options.
Microsoft signed a half-billion-dollar promotional deal with Verizon in January 2009, and The Register asserts that a similar agreement with Google was in the works until the Microsoft deal was completed.
Some experts speculate that the move to Bing exclusivity could be Verizon’s response to the news that Google will launch its own smartphone next year, which The Register says will not use Verizon’s network. The New York Times took Verizon to task over the move, comparing it to the company’s recent response to complaints over its internet use fees.
