Google is making its dark web monitoring tool free for everyone to use

Google is making its dark web report feature available to all Google Account holders.

Previously only available to Google One subscribers, the feature, designed to help users monitor if their personal information has been spotted in data breaches, will be integrated into the ‘results about you’ section of the Google app this summer.

The news was spotted in a pop-up in the Google One app (via 9To5Google), which explains that the feature will “no longer be available on Google One,” but unlike the company’s VPN shutdown, dark web monitoring will just be reframed as a tool for all.

Google’s dark web monitoring will be available to all

Previously, the dark web monitoring tool was exclusively for paying Google One customers, providing them with a detailed analysis of leaked personal data, including names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, and payment card information.

The new integration across all Google accounts aims to enhance security by making dark web monitoring available to a broader audience.

Dark web monitoring will became part of a combined solution with ‘Results about you,’ a feature that helps users find and request the removal of personal contact information from search results.

The expansion of a feature that was previously reserved for paying customers comes in the month following the company’s decision to end support for its Google One-destined VPN tool. It was pulled owing to a lack of use by customers, with Google claiming that it would be able to concentrate on more frequently used tools as a result.

With cyberattacks becoming increasingly common amid continuing global geopolitical tensions, enhanced detection will be welcome news to many.

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