DuckDuckGo has begun pitching its privacy-focused search engine to schools following a move by Google that altered the availability of its AI features for education. On November 3, 2026, Google announced that Gemini and Gemini Notebook would be turned off by default for educational users, while also indicating that disabling some other AI features could affect Google Search.
Why this matters for schools
According to figures Google has published previously, there are around 50 million Chromebooks in schools worldwide, and Google Classroom serves more than 150 million users. Those numbers make Google’s decisions consequential for students and educators who rely on its tools.
DuckDuckGo’s response and offer
DuckDuckGo, which emphasises limiting user data collection and protecting privacy, saw the moment as an opening. Gabriel Weinberg, DuckDuckGo’s founder and CEO, pointed followers on X to the company’s online documentation explaining how schools can change their default search engine to DuckDuckGo and added “get in touch for help.”
Kamyl Bazbaz, DuckDuckGo’s chief public affairs officer, issued a sharper public comment, writing: “Forcing AI on school children: how a monopolist behaves when they think people are powerless. Prove Google wrong.”
In an email to TechCrunch, DuckDuckGo also criticized Google’s decision and said Google could easily turn off Search’s AI features for schools if it chose to.
Educators’ concerns and Google’s position
Educators have expressed worries about AI’s role in classrooms. In response, Google developed “Guided Learning,” intended to help students by guiding them through problem-solving steps rather than simply providing answers. Still, some educators have sought tools that let them remove AI from the learning process entirely.
After the backlash, Google said it was responding to school feedback and clarified that Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Search would be OFF by default, with schools able to enable them individually.
DuckDuckGo’s product approach
DuckDuckGo is not anti-AI: it offers AI features, including a chat interface called Duck.ai and an AI search assistant. The company stresses that, unlike Google, it provides clear options to disable these features in both its search and browser settings. It also maintains a dedicated page, noai.duckduckgo.com, where AI-assisted answers, AI-generated images, and AI feature suggestions are turned off.
That emphasis on choice may be contributing to demand: DuckDuckGo reported earlier this year that its app installs rose 30% as some users rejected Google’s AI-driven Search.
Broader implications
The episode highlights broader public debates over how much AI should be present in everyday life and in institutions like schools. While communities have resisted building AI data centers in some towns, deploying AI in work and education brings more nuanced questions about pedagogy and data governance.
By offering clear ways for schools to switch search defaults and opt out of AI features, DuckDuckGo is positioning itself as an alternative to Google’s dominant presence in education. Whether that positioning will translate into sustained market shifts in the education sector remains to be seen.
