Google has announced that its Dark Web Reports feature previously available only to Google One subscribers will soon be accessible to all Google Account holders starting in late July 2024.
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Previously exclusive to Google One members, the Dark Web Reports feature will now be available to anyone with a Google Account.
The Dark Web Reports will be integrated into the Results About You section on myactivity.google.com. This section already helps users find and request the removal of search results containing their personal information.
Combining these two features aims to provide a solution for monitoring and protecting user’s online presence.
Google will monitor the dark web for any leaks of personal information including names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
Users will be alerted if their data appears in any data breaches or leaks allowing them to take timely action.
To utilize this feature users need to create a monitoring profile. This profile includes basic information like name, date of birth and Gmail address.
Users can also add other details such as postal addresses, additional email addresses and phone numbers. Google will search for matches in data published on the dark web due to breaches.
Once set up users will receive an instant summary of data breaches involving their details. Specific leaks can be explored to understand which information was compromised.
If a user’s information was part of a breach like the MGM data breach, they will be able to see what details were exposed.
Changing email addresses can help enhance security. Using a dedicated email for sensitive accounts and another for general use is recommended.
If a password is found in a data breach, users should change it immediately. Using a password manager such as Bitwarden to make sure of strong and unique passwords across different sites.
While changing details like postal addresses or dates of birth is impractical, being aware of their exposure can help users remain vigilant against scams or identity theft.
This feature will be available to Google users in 46 countries including the US and the UK.
Google has offered dark web monitoring to Google One subscribers helping them track if their personal information such as phone numbers and physical addresses appeared in dark web data leaks.
Starting later this month, this service will become available to anyone with a Google account, not just Google One subscribers.
The transition will make the dark web reports part of the results about you page on Google, where users can check and request removal of their personal contact info from Google search results.
The results about you page currently allows users to find and remove personal information indexed by Google such as home addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
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The addition of dark web monitoring will enhance this feature by providing a solution for protecting user’s online presence.
Google One subscribers who currently enjoy this dark web monitoring as part of their subscription will see this benefit become free for all users.
VPN by Google One, which was also available to subscribers will be discontinued later this year. Google’s decision to remove these benefits without a corresponding price drop might be disappointing for some subscribers.
Services both paid and free has already offer dark web monitoring and alert users if their data is found.
For Google users integrating these monitoring features into a single interface simplifies the process of viewing personal information leaks.
Google One subscriptions start at $1.99 a month offering additional storage for Google accounts including photos and Gmail.
Other perks include premium Google Meet video calling features, the ability to share storage with up to five people and enhanced appointment scheduling in Google Calendar.
Advanced AI features powered by Google’s Gemini are available but require higher-tier subscriptions starting at $19.99 a month.
Google’s VPN service part of the Google One subscription will be shut down due to lack of interest from users.
The shutdown will occur on June 20 and users will be notified to uninstall the app from their devices.
Google Pixel phone users will continue to have access to a free built-in VPN which uses cryptographic blind signing to mask web traffic.
The dark web monitoring feature will be accessible through the results about you section of the Google app. Users will receive alerts if their Google-related data is found on the dark web.
To monitor more than just Gmail addresses and passwords, users will need to provide additional information they want to be tracked.
Google joins the ranks of other services like Proton Mail and LastPass which already offer dark web monitoring for user information and leaked passwords.
From late July 2024 users can access the Dark Web Report in the Results About You section at myactivity.google.com.
It is expected to be placed likely in the security section of the My Account page on Google.
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