Google retires service that alerted users about data leak
What's the story
Google has announced that it will discontinue its "Dark Web Report" tool in early 2026. The feature was initially launched as a perk for Google One subscribers in 2023 and expanded to all Google account holders in 2024. However, the tech giant has decided to end the service due to user feedback indicating that it didn't provide helpful next steps for online security.
Tool details
Dark web report tool's functionality and shutdown timeline
The "Dark Web Report" tool was designed to scan the dark web for a user's Google account email address. It provided updates if the email was found on these potentially dangerous sites. However, Google has now revealed that it will stop scanning for such data on January 15, 2026. The company also said all data related to this feature will be deleted by February 16, 2026.
User guidance
Google encourages use of existing security tools
Along with announcing the discontinuation of the "Dark Web Report" tool, Google has also encouraged users to take advantage of its other security measures. These include Security and Privacy Checkups, Passkey, 2-Step Verification, Google Password Manager, and Password Checkup. The company also suggested using "Results about you," a feature that lets users find and request removal of their personal information from Google Search results.