Google has announced that its “Dark Web Report” feature will be discontinued starting February 16, 2026. Initia releasedDeveloped about a year and a half ago, the tool was meant to allow users to monitor their personal information on the dark web.
For some users, Dark Web Reports appeared to be a valuable tool that scans various data breach dumps and alerts you if personal information such as email addresses, names, phone numbers, and social security numbers is found in compromised databases.
However, as stated on its support page, Google has decided to end this feature after receiving feedback suggesting that it “does not provide useful next steps” for users facing potential identity risks.
Many users echoed this, with discussions on Reddit echoing common frustrations. This means that the tool did not provide any actionable advice. As one commenter noted, users often felt like all they could do was change their passwords without clear guidance about which accounts or websites were affected.
“We are making this change to focus on tools that provide clearer, actionable steps to protect your information online,” the tech giant wrote. “We will continue to track and protect you from online threats, including the dark web, and build tools to help protect you and your personal information.”
Instead of the Dark Web Report feature, Google recommended other protection measures. The company also offers other tools such as a “Security Checkup” to check the security of your Google Account. Built-in “password manager” to generate unique passwords. Features include “Password Checkup,” which sends alerts when your saved passwords are compromised.
According to 9to5Google, which first discovered the planned shutdown of the feature, it issued an email alert to users.
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If you were using the Dark Web Reporting feature, it’s important to note that scanning for new Dark Web breaches will stop on January 16th. The Dark Web Reporting Tool will be officially retired on February 16th, and all associated data will be removed from Google’s servers.
Users who want to take control of their data before the deadline can delete their profile by going to Results Containing My Information, selecting Edit Monitoring Profile, and selecting Delete Monitoring Profile at the bottom.
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