Alphabet’s Google is facing mounting criticism from U.S. lawmakers and technology policy advocates over a plan that would prevent schools from providing students with access to Google Search if they choose to prohibit artificial intelligence tools, according to a report published by TechCrunch.
The policy, announced Tuesday, would require schools using Google’s K-12 education software to permit AI functionality to retain access to the company’s widely used search engine. The decision has prompted accusations that Google is leveraging its market position to influence how schools adopt emerging technology.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, were among the political figures who publicly challenged the proposal, TechCrunch reported.
Sanders characterized the arrangement as “extortion” in a post on X, arguing that Google was effectively threatening to withdraw a widely used educational resource from institutions unwilling to embrace AI.
Blumenthal similarly criticized the company’s priorities, suggesting that Google’s efforts to expand adoption of its Gemini AI technology were taking precedence over students’ educational needs.
The objections highlight growing tensions between major technology companies seeking to integrate generative AI into everyday services and educators concerned about its potential effects on classroom learning.
Google Defends Integration of Search and AI
Google maintains that its search engine and artificial intelligence capabilities have become closely connected, making it difficult to offer the former without the latter.
Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president for education, told The New York Times that “Search and AI are deeply integrated,” according to TechCrunch.
Under the proposed arrangement, students whose schools decline to enable AI services such as Gemini would lose access to Google Search through their school-managed accounts. Instead, they would receive a notification explaining that the service was unavailable.
The restrictions are part of a broader change in Google’s approach to AI access for younger students. The company plans to make AI tools unavailable by default for K-12 accounts unless school administrators authorize their use, according to a separate TechCrunch report published Tuesday.
That approach would give administrators more control over whether students can use certain AI products, but it would also leave schools unable to retain Google Search while excluding AI entirely.
The distinction has become a central point of contention for critics who argue that schools should be able to determine which technologies are appropriate for students without losing access to conventional online research tools.
Antitrust Concerns Intensify
Former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan joined the criticism, accusing Google of exploiting its position in online search to encourage adoption of AI products.
Related: Google Challenges US Order to Share Search Data With Competitors
Khan described the decision as anti-competitive and linked it to Google’s existing legal challenges over its market dominance, according to TechCrunch.
She argued that the episode demonstrated the risks of allowing a dominant technology provider to exercise substantial control over a service widely relied upon by the public.
Her comments reflect a broader debate over whether companies with established positions in digital markets can use those advantages to expand into newer industries, including generative AI.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also criticized the policy, arguing that private companies should not wield such extensive influence over educational decisions.
“No corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children,” Mamdani said, according to TechCrunch.
The criticism came as Google continued to face scrutiny over its business practices and the implications of integrating AI into products already used by millions of people.
Schools Face Difficult Technology Choices
The controversy underscores the challenges confronting school administrators as generative AI becomes increasingly embedded in educational software.
Google’s products occupy a significant position in classrooms, where its search engine, productivity applications and education platforms support research, assignments and communication.
For institutions seeking to limit student exposure to generative AI, the proposed policy could complicate decisions about which digital services to make available.
Educators have raised concerns that AI-generated responses may encourage students to rely on automated answers rather than develop independent research and critical-thinking skills. At the same time, AI advocates have promoted the technology’s potential to support personalized instruction and make learning resources more accessible.
Google’s latest approach places those competing considerations at the center of a dispute over who should control technology use in schools.
The company has also introduced Guided Learning features designed to help students work through problems rather than simply receive answers, according to TechCrunch’s earlier reporting.
Source: TechCrunch
