Following the lead of Google Inc. and other online competitors, Microsoft Corp. plans to start selling sponsored links on its search Web pages.
Microsoft's move into this potentially lucrative area capitalizes on detailed demographic information the software company has gathered over the years, raising privacy concerns for some.
It also comes as Microsoft continues its aggressive effort to catch up in online search with market leaders Google and Yahoo Inc.
Google, the search leader, is thriving in large part because advertisers are willing to pay more to have their Web site links displayed prominently alongside Google's regular search results.
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