Google has dealt a major blow to its users by announcing that it will discontinue its free "Dark Web Monitoring Tool" next year. The company will stop sending dark web reports starting early next year. This tool was quite helpful for users, as it informed them whether their personal information had been leaked on the dark web, the hidden part of the internet.

What was this tool, and how did it work?
Initially, this feature was exclusively available to Google One subscribers. However, in mid-2024, Google made it free for all users. Whenever you enabled it, you would receive a notification if your name, email address, or phone number was leaked due to a data breach. Users could see which of their data had been leaked on their Google account.

Why is Google shutting it down?
In an email, Google explained that it is discontinuing dark web reports because "feedback indicated that the tool didn't provide users with helpful next steps." In simpler terms, the tool only informed users that their data was on the dark web, but it didn't guide them on what to do next to protect themselves. The company said it will now focus on tools that help users take clear and actionable steps.

These dates are important.
Google has set two dates for the discontinuation of this service. On January 15, 2026, Google will stop monitoring for new dark web results. On February 16, 2026, access to the reports will be completely removed from your account. If you wish, you can remove your monitoring profile now by going to the "results with your info" section on the tool's official page.

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