Google is accused of 'extortion' after warning US schools that ban its AI will lose Search access
Students using Google's platforms, which 150 million students and teachers rely on, face losing Search access entirely if their schools impose a blanket ban on AI tools.
Google's education vice president Chris Phillips confirmed that Search and AI are "deeply integrated," meaning schools that fully ban AI tools will lose student access to Google Search entirely — the world's dominant search engine used by 150 million students and teachers on the company's platforms.
Senator Bernie Sanders called the policy "extortion," while New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused Google of using "monopoly power to force AI into our public schools."
Former FTC chair Lina Khan warned Google is "coercing schools," calling it a danger of letting "an unregulated monopolist control an essential service."
Schools can still disable Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom individually — but any school banning AI altogether will find Search unavailable, with students seeing a school-issued block message.
