DuckDuckGo Courts 50 Million Chromebook Users as Google AI School Policy Sparks Backlash
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Nov 4
DuckDuckGo Courts 50 Million Chromebook Users as Google AI School Policy Sparks Backlash
3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Nov 4
Summary
DuckDuckGo urged schools to switch their default search engine after Google said disabling its broader AI search features would also mean giving up Google Search.
Google later defended the setup by saying Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Search are off by default and can be enabled individually, but educators object that Google Search itself now relies heavily on AI features.
Gabriel Weinberg directed schools to DuckDuckGo’s migration documentation and offered help, while the company accused Google of forcing AI on students and said schools should be able to turn off AI without losing search.
The pitch targets a market where Google is deeply entrenched — about 50 million Chromebooks in schools and more than 150 million Google Classroom users globally.
DuckDuckGo says its own AI tools can be disabled, including through a no-AI site, and reported app installs rose 30% earlier this year as users pushed back on Google’s AI search.