Google’s AI-or-Search ultimatum for schools draws backlash, opens door for DuckDuckGo

Google’s decision to tie access to its dominant search engine to the acceptance of its AI tools in K-12 classrooms has triggered swift political backlash and opened a rare competitive opening for privacy-focused rival DuckDuckGo.

Under changes announced Tuesday, schools using Google’s education products will have AI tools—including Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Gemini in Classroom—turned off by default. Administrators can manually enable them. However, Google Search is also classified as an AI tool under the policy. Schools that choose to restrict all AI features will lose access to Google Search entirely.

Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president for education, told The New York Times that “Search and AI are deeply integrated.” If a school opts out, students “will not have access to search, and they’ll see a message from their school that indicates it’s not available,” he said.

The policy applies to the roughly 50 million Chromebooks in U.S. schools and the more than 150 million users of Google Classroom, according to figures Google has previously published.

**Backlash from lawmakers**

The announcement, made on a busy Election Day, drew immediate condemnation from several prominent politicians.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called the move “extortion” in a post on X, writing: “Google is threatening schools: if you stop your students from using AI, we will cut off your access to Google Search.”

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said Google is “more concerned with forcing Gemini into schools than enabling students to succeed.”

Lina Khan, the former Federal Trade Commission chair, said the decision “highlights the danger of allowing an unregulated monopolist to control an essential service.” She noted that multiple courts have found Google liable for violating antitrust laws and that “this latest move shows it remains unchastened.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused Google of being a monopoly, stating: “No corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children.”

**Google’s defense**

Google pushed back against the criticism, arguing the changes give schools more control. In a post on X, the company said Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Search will be off by default, based on feedback from K-12 schools asking for more control.

“We know there’s concern about students using AI to shortcut schoolwork, and schools have told us they want control,” Google wrote in a statement. “That’s exactly why we are making these changes today to address the feedback we’ve heard from educators in recent months.”

The company also highlighted a new tool called “Guided Learning,” which is designed to walk students through problem-solving steps rather than providing direct answers. The feature was unveiled earlier this year and is now launching in schools.

**DuckDuckGo sees an opening**

DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search engine, quickly moved to position itself as an alternative. On X, founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg pointed to documentation explaining how schools can switch their default search engine to DuckDuckGo, adding “get in touch for help.”

Kamyl Bazbaz, DuckDuckGo’s chief public affairs officer, issued a stronger statement: “Forcing AI on school children: how a monopolist behaves when they think people are powerless. Prove Google wrong.”

In an email to TechCrunch, DuckDuckGo chastised Google for the decision, arguing the company could easily turn off Search’s AI features for schools if it wanted to.

DuckDuckGo is not anti-AI—it offers its own chat interface called Duck.ai and an AI search assistant. But unlike Google, it provides options to disable these features in both its search and browser settings. The company also runs a dedicated website, noai.duckduckgo.com, where all AI-assisted answers, AI-generated images, and AI feature suggestions are turned off.

The flexibility appears to be driving demand. DuckDuckGo reported earlier this year that its app installs were up 30% as users rejected Google’s AI-integrated Search.

**No middle ground**

The policy leaves schools with a binary choice: accept Google’s full AI suite—including AI Overviews and a conversational AI Mode in Search—or lose the search engine entirely. Ars Technica noted that there is no picking and choosing: “you either allow all the AI or none of it.”

Educators have expressed concern that AI Overviews could discourage students from finding answers themselves. Phillips wrote in a blog post that Google will share more specifics with schools in the coming months to allow time for preparation and a “smooth transition.”

Google’s dominance in education—built on the ubiquity of Chromebooks and Google Classroom—means switching search engines is not a simple fix for most schools. The company’s decision underscores the leverage it holds over the education sector as it pushes AI integration deeper into its core products.