DuckDuckGo pitches itself to schools amid backlash over Google’s AI policy

DuckDuckGo is pitching its search engine to schools in response to educator backlash over Google’s AI policy. The company is highlighting that its search engine lets schools disable AI-generated features, an option it says is increasingly important as Google pushes AI into more of its products. DuckDuckGo is positioning itself as a privacy-focused alternative for classrooms as concerns grow over how AI tools handle student data and content. The outreach comes as Google faces criticism from educators over restrictions tied to its AI offerings. Schools evaluating their search and AI tooling now have a concrete alternative to consider, and how many districts switch—or simply turn off AI features—will show whether the backlash translates into market share gains for DuckDuckGo.