Google will cut off search access for schools that reject AI

Google announced Tuesday that K-12 schools using Google Classroom can now toggle AI tools on or off individually. The catch: search is bundled with AI, so schools that opt out of Gemini lose access to Google search entirely.

The move reverses Google's August decision to enable Gemini by default for many K-12 students, a decision that triggered backlash from educators and parents. Under the new policy, all tools start off by default, and administrators choose what to enable. But the company's integration of search with AI means that opting out of AI means opting out of search.

Former FTC Chair Lina Khan called the policy coercive. "Google is using its search monopoly to coerce schools into adopting AI," she wrote on social media. "This highlights the danger of allowing an unregulated monopolist to control an essential service."

Why it matters: Google dominates education tech, with 150 million students and teachers using Classroom globally. The bundling decision forces school administrators to choose between AI exposure and the loss of core functionality, just as New York City and Los Angeles have issued temporary AI bans in elementary and middle schools.

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