Google has announced that it will discontinue its ‘Dark Web Report’ feature early next year.
This marks the end of a tool which was a key security benefit for millions of users.
Google confirmed this in a support document that the service will stop scanning for new data breaches on January 15, 2026, and will be fully unavailable starting February 16, 2026.
On that date, all existing monitoring profiles and related data will be permanently deleted from Google’s servers.
Launched in March 2023, the Dark Web Report was initially exclusive to paid Google One subscribers before being expanded to all personal Google accounts earlier this year.
The tool allowed users to monitor whether their sensitive information including email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth had been leaked in third-party data breaches and traded on the dark web.
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Despite its broad rollout, Google said user feedback suggested the tool wasn’t providing enough value once a leak was discovered.
“While the report offered general information, feedback showed that it didn’t provide helpful next steps,” Google stated in its announcement.
“We’re making this change to instead focus on tools that give you more clear, actionable steps to protect your information online.”
Google has encouraged users to transition to its existing suite of security features, including Security Checkup which is a personalised dashboard to secure Google accounts.
Google Password Manager & Password Checkup which are tools that identify compromised or weak passwords and help update them.
Results About You which is a feature that allows users to request the removal of their personal contact information (such as home addresses and phone numbers) from Google Search results.
Passkeys which is Google’s preferred, phishing-resistant method for logging into accounts without passwords.
It is important to note the important deadlines as January 15, 2026 is the last day for new breach scans and February 16, 2026 is when service will be shut down and data deletion.
Users who wish to remove their data before the official shutdown can do so manually by visiting their Dark Web Report page, selecting “Edit monitoring profile,” and clicking “Delete monitoring profile.”
For those looking for dark web monitoring, several third-party alternatives remain available, including the free service Have I Been Pwned and various paid features offered by password managers and antivirus software.
