Google makes its dark web monitoring tool available for free to everyone
Google is making the dark web reporting feature available to all Google account holders.
The feature was previously only available to Google One subscribers and is designed to help users check if their personal information has been discovered in data breaches. The feature will be integrated into the “Results about you” section of the Google app this summer.
The news was noticed in a pop-up in the Google One app (via 9to5Google), explaining that the feature “will no longer be available on Google One,” but unlike the company’s VPN discontinuation, dark web monitoring will simply be rebranded as a tool for everyone.
Google’s dark web monitoring will be available to everyone
Previously, the dark web monitoring tool was only available to paying Google One customers. It provided these customers with detailed analysis of leaked personal data, including names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, and payment card details.
The new integration into all Google accounts is intended to improve security by making dark web monitoring available to a wider audience.
Dark web monitoring will be part of a combined solution with ‘Results About You’, a feature that allows users to find and remove personal contact information from search results.
The expansion of a feature previously reserved for paying customers comes a month after the company decided to end support for its Google One-dedicated VPN tool. It was pulled due to a lack of customer usage, with Google claiming this would allow it to focus on more commonly used tools.
With cyberattacks becoming more common and geopolitical tensions continuing worldwide, improved detection will be welcome news to many.
