Neocities founder stuck in chatbot hell after Bing blocked 1.5 million sites

Microsoft Blocks Neocities: A Digital Free Speech Crisis or a Botched Content Filter?

In a surprising and controversial move, Microsoft has effectively blocked the entire Neocities platform from its Bing search engine, leaving thousands of independent web creators invisible to millions of users. Neocities, a beloved throwback to the early days of the internet, has long been a haven for hobbyists, artists, and nostalgic web developers who cherish the freedom to build personal, human-made websites without the constraints of modern social media or corporate templates. But now, a mysterious content moderation dispute has plunged this vibrant community into uncertainty—and sparked a heated debate over the power of tech giants to shape what we see online.

The Neocities Story: A Digital Renaissance

Founded in 2013 by Kyle Drake, Neocities set out to recapture the spirit of GeoCities, the legendary early web platform that allowed anyone to create their own corner of the internet. Over the years, Neocities has grown into a bustling ecosystem of over 500,000 websites, ranging from quirky fan pages and experimental art projects to educational resources and personal blogs. Unlike the algorithm-driven, ad-saturated web of today, Neocities champions creativity, individuality, and the human touch.

But as the platform expanded, so did the challenges of moderation. Drake, who still leads Neocities, has invested heavily in content moderation, working with a dedicated staffer to review reports and proactively screen new sites. The goal: to keep the platform safe and compliant with legal standards, while preserving its open, creative ethos. According to Drake, problematic content is removed within 24 hours, and the team is vigilant about blocking copyright infringement, spam, and malicious activity.

Microsoft’s Mysterious Block

Everything changed when Microsoft, without warning, blocked Neocities from Bing search results. The move was sudden and total—no Neocities site appears in Bing searches, regardless of its content or popularity. For a platform that relies on search engines to connect creators with audiences, this is a devastating blow.

What triggered the block? That’s the million-dollar question. Microsoft’s policies prohibit scraping copyrighted content, generating “garbage text” to manipulate rankings, phishing, and prompt injection attacks on its AI models. But Drake insists he hasn’t found any violations that would justify such a sweeping action. In fact, he’s eager to work with Microsoft to address any issues—if only someone at the company would talk to him.

“It’s really frustrating to see that all these human beings making really cool sites that people want to go to are just not available on the default Windows search engine,” Drake told Ars Technica. He points out that Neocities has one of the lowest ratios of low-quality or spammy content on the internet, and that the vast majority of its sites are lovingly crafted by real people.

The Fallout: Creators Left in the Dark

The impact on Neocities creators is immediate and personal. Take “Wired Sound for Wired People,” a long-running, hugely popular anime fan page. It’s a staple of the Neocities community, with thousands of links pointing to it across the web. Yet if you search for it on Bing, nothing appears. Google, by contrast, still lists it as the top result. This isn’t an isolated case—dozens of beloved, entirely innocent sites have vanished from Bing overnight.

For many creators, this isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s an existential threat. Search engines are the primary way people discover new websites. Without visibility on Bing, Neocities sites lose a huge chunk of potential traffic, and creators lose the audience they’ve worked so hard to build.

The Moderation Conundrum

Drake is quick to acknowledge that no moderation system is perfect. “Naturally, we still don’t catch 100 percent of the sites with proactive moderation, and occasionally some problematic sites do get missed,” he said. But he maintains that the block is a mistake—a case of an automated filter gone rogue, rather than a justified crackdown.

The problem is compounded by Microsoft’s lack of transparency and support. Neocities has tried to resolve the issue through Bing’s automated tools, but these have proven ineffective. There’s no clear path to appeal, no human being to talk to, and no explanation for why the block was imposed in the first place. For a platform that prides itself on fostering human creativity, this feels like a betrayal.

A Broader Debate: Who Controls the Web?

The Neocities-Bing dispute is more than just a technical glitch; it’s a flashpoint in the ongoing battle over who controls the internet. Search engines like Bing wield enormous power to make or break websites, and their algorithms—often opaque and automated—can have real-world consequences for individuals and communities.

Critics argue that Microsoft’s actions are emblematic of a broader trend: the centralization of power in the hands of a few tech giants, who can unilaterally decide what gets seen and what gets buried. For advocates of digital freedom, this is a chilling reminder of how fragile the open web can be.

On the other hand, Microsoft has a responsibility to keep its platform safe and compliant with the law. The company must balance the need for moderation with the risk of overreach. In this case, the lack of communication and due process has only fueled suspicion and frustration.

What’s Next for Neocities?

For now, Neocities and its community are in limbo. Drake remains hopeful that Microsoft will reverse the block and provide a clearer path for dialogue. In the meantime, he’s urging creators to keep building, and users to keep supporting independent web projects.

The Neocities story is a powerful reminder of the importance of diversity and openness on the internet. It’s a call to action for all of us to support platforms that value creativity over conformity, and to push back against the forces that would homogenize the web.

As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: the future of the internet depends on our ability to balance safety, freedom, and fairness. The Neocities saga is just the latest chapter in that ongoing story—and it’s far from over.

Tags: Neocities, Microsoft, Bing, content moderation, internet freedom, digital rights, web creators, online censorship, search engine, Kyle Drake, GeoCities, open web, online communities, tech giants, algorithmic bias, independent web, creative freedom, digital culture, online visibility, internet history

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