Google’s policy for K-12 schools is drawing backlash after it said schools that restrict or block its AI tools would also lose access to Google Search. Multiple outlets link the issue to heightened concerns about how generative AI can affect children, pointing to the U.S. spotlight following a child’s thwarted suicide attempt and what it underscores about AI risks.

The dispute centres on whether schools can choose to disable AI features while still using Search. CBS, the New York Times, Quartz and others report that U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey has pressed Google to clarify whether schools can use a search engine without generative AI and to explain the technical basis for its position. The Guardian adds that parents and teachers describe the arrangement as coercive, while Google says schools should control student AI use and that access would be contingent.

Other coverage emphasizes the business logic. Inc. frames Google’s stance as a pricing or leverage strategy rather than a purely technical constraint, arguing that AI is being treated as the monetised “model” underlying search for schools.