Microsoft has coined the term, "scroogled,"
for what it says Google is doing with pay-for-play search.
Microsoft's competing search engine, Bing, launched scroogled.com Wednesday and
plans a TV and newspaper ad campaign to make its point.
According to a spokesperson, that point is that "the
search results consumers are getting via Google Shopping are really nothing
more than paid ads, although people are led to think this is a form of unpaid
search and Google has not been upfront with its users about this new
policy."
Google is currently under investigation by the Federal Trade
Commission for its combination of search and advertising businesses, with a
decision about how to proceed expected soon.
Google's press office had not returned a request for comment
at presstime.
