In a recent communication to its users, Google announced that it will cease scanning for new dark web data starting January 15, 2026. Furthermore, by February 16, 2026, all data related to this tool will be permanently erased, making the information inaccessible.

According to Google, user feedback indicated that while the tool was informative, it fell short in providing users with clear steps to enhance their security. As a result, the company has decided to phase out the feature in order to concentrate on security tools that offer more practical guidance for protecting personal information online.

“We’re making this change to instead focus on tools that give you more clear, actionable steps to protect your information online,” stated Google in their message to users.

The dark web report was initially introduced as an added benefit for Google One subscribers in 2023 and was later made available to all users with a Google account in 2024.

The dark web report was initially launched in 2023 as a perk for Google One subscribers. It later expanded to all Google account users in 2024. 

The feature monitored the dark web for things like email addresses, phone numbers and home addresses tied to a user’s account.

Google said it will continue to track and defend users from online threats, including those connected to the dark web, through other services. 

The company is encouraging users to now rely on tools like Security and Privacy Checkups, Passkeys, 2-Step Verification, Google Password Manager and Password Checkup. Users can also use “Results about you” to request the removal of personal information from Google Search results.

Users who want to remove their monitoring profile before the shutdown can do so through their Google account settings.