Google's free dark web monitoring tool confirmed to be discontinued in early 2026

Search giant Google has announced it will discontinue its free dark web monitoring tool, which alerts users when their personal information appears in data leaks on the dark web.

The dark web monitoring feature will no longer scan for new breaches on January 15, 2026, and will be fully shut down by February 16, 2026, after all associated data will be deleted.

The tool was introduced in 2023 as part of Google One and expanded to all Google account holders in 2024. It was designed to inform users if their email, phone number, birthdate, or other personal details surfaced in dark web databases.

Why Google is ending its free dark web monitoring tool

As to why Google is winding down its free dark web monitoring, it is driven by user feedback indicating that while the tool provided useful information, it lacked clear, actionable steps for addressing potential breaches.

Now Google is reportedly planning to focus on enhancing other security and privacy tools that offer more direct guidance for protecting accounts.

The company recommends users utilise existing protections, such as Security Checkup, Passkeys, two-step verification, Google Password Manager, and Password Checkup, to protect against data theft or any sort of security violations.

The decision to retire the dark web monitoring feature comes amid mounting concerns about cybersecurity threats, including identity theft and financial scams carried out by stolen credentials traded on the dark web.

While Google has assured to defend users against online threats, the end of the free dark web monitoring tool marks the end of one initiative that kept users posted with dark web risks