Google is shutting down a feature that many people used to check whether their personal information had ended up in data breaches. The company has confirmed that its dark web report tool will stop scanning for new leaks in mid-January and will be fully discontinued on February 16, 2026. The feature was designed to alert users if details like their email address, phone number, name, or other personal data appeared in known dark web breach dumps, but Google now says it did not go far enough in helping people act on those alerts.
Why Google is pulling the plug on dark web report
The dark web report launched about a year and a half ago and quickly gained attention because it promised visibility into a part of the internet most people cannot access themselves. Users could set up a monitoring profile and receive notifications if their information showed up in compromised databases.
Google says the decision comes down to usefulness. Feedback showed that while the tool could flag potential data exposure, it rarely explained which specific services were affected or what meaningful steps users could take beyond simply changing passwords.
How to continue monitoring your personal data leaks
Google wants to focus on security tools that offer clearer and more actionable guidance. These include Security Checkup, Password Manager, Password Checkup, passkeys for account sign-ins, and other protections found in the Google Safety Center. The company is also encouraging users to rely on another called Results about you. It helps people find and request the removal of personal information like phone numbers and home addresses from Google Search results.
Users can also delete their dark web monitoring profile at any time before the shutdown. To do this, go to the Dark web report while signed into your Google account, open ‘Results with your info’, select ‘Edit monitoring profile’, and choose ‘Delete monitoring profile’.
As research continues to highlight how many people still rely on easy-to-guess passwords, Google has been rolling out changes that make account recovery less stressful and adding live threat detection features on Android to surface security risks in real time.
