TL;DR: Google's Dark Web Report stopped scanning on January 15, 2026. The tool itself goes dark on February 17. Google's reason: "didn't provide helpful next steps." Translation: they couldn't figure out what to tell you after discovering your data got leaked. Use Have I Been Pwned or Proton Pass instead, they actually monitor continuously and have been doing this longer than Google's 18-month experiment.
What Happened
Google announced in December 2025 that its Dark Web Report feature would shut down.[1] The scans stopped January 15, 2026. The entire tool becomes inaccessible on February 17, and Google will delete all your monitoring data on that date.[2]
The feature launched for Google One subscribers in March 2023 and expanded to all Google accounts in July 2024. Less than 18 months later, it's gone.
Google's stated reason: "While the report offered general information, feedback showed that it didn't provide helpful next steps."[1]
What that really means: Google found your leaked data but couldn't tell you anything useful about it. Your email showed up in a breach? Cool. Now what? Google didn't have an answer.
What the Tool Actually Did
Dark Web Report scanned dark web data dumps for your personal information, email addresses, passwords, phone numbers, home addresses, and Social Security numbers, and alerted you if your data appeared in known breaches.[3]
The premise was solid: data breaches happen constantly, and your information ends up on hacker forums where it's traded and sold. Knowing when your data shows up gives you a chance to change passwords before someone uses them.
The execution was half-baked. Google would tell you "your email was found in a breach" but provided limited guidance on what to do next. For most users, the alerts were either anxiety-inducing dead ends or repetitive notifications about breaches they already knew about.
What Google Wants You to Use Instead
Google's suggested replacements:[2]
- Security Checkup, Reviews your Google account security settings
- Password Manager, Stores passwords (but doesn't monitor dark web)
- Password Checkup, Checks if saved passwords appear in known breaches
- Results about you, Requests removal of personal info from Google Search
Notice what's missing? Actual dark web monitoring. Password Checkup only checks passwords you've saved in Google's password manager against a breach database, it's not actively scanning dark web forums for your leaked data.
"Results about you" requires you to hand over more personal information to Google so it can search for that information online. The irony writes itself.
What You Should Actually Use
Free options that actually work:
Have I Been Pwned
Created by security researcher Troy Hunt in 2013. It's been doing this for over a decade and contains data from 876+ breach incidents. Enter your email, get results. No account required for basic searches. Sign up for free email alerts when your address appears in new breaches.[4]
Firefox Monitor
Mozilla's free service, powered by Have I Been Pwned data. Integrates with Firefox accounts for ongoing monitoring. No tracking, no ads.
Proton Pass
Proton's password manager includes Dark Web Monitoring. It scans for leaked data as breaches emerge, not just checking against historical databases. The free tier includes basic monitoring; paid plans offer real-time alerts.[3]
Bitwarden
Open-source password manager. Premium tier ($10/year) includes data breach reports for stored credentials.
What To Do Before February 17
1. Export Your Data
If you want a record of what Google found, check your Dark Web Report before February 17. Google will delete all monitoring data on that date.
2. Sign Up for Have I Been Pwned
Go to haveibeenpwned.com. Enter your email addresses. Enable notification alerts for free. Takes 30 seconds.
3. Check Your Passwords
Use Have I Been Pwned's password checker to see if any of your passwords have appeared in breaches. Change any that have.
4. Consider a Password Manager
Bitwarden (free) or Proton Pass (free tier available) will monitor your credentials continuously. Both are better than Google's defunct solution.
The Bigger Picture
Google's exit from dark web monitoring highlights a frustrating pattern: big tech companies launch privacy tools, realize they can't monetize them, and quietly shut them down.
The good news: dedicated privacy tools from organizations like Mozilla, Proton, and security researchers like Troy Hunt aren't going anywhere. They've been doing this work for years and don't need to justify their existence to shareholders.
Don't rely on any single company, especially one whose business model depends on your data, to protect your privacy. Diversify your monitoring. Use multiple services. Assume your data is already out there.