According to ZDNet, Google is quietly killing its free dark web report feature for Google Accounts. The tool, which scanned data dumps for your personal info like email, SSN, and home address, will stop scanning for new breaches on January 15, 2026. By February 16, 2026, the report will be completely inaccessible. Google’s support page confirmed the shutdown, stating user feedback showed it “didn’t provide helpful next steps.” The company says it will now focus on more actionable security tools, like its Security Checkup and passkeys. This follows the initial report from 9to5Google, adding another product to the infamous Google Graveyard.
Google Says Goodbye, So What’s Next?
Look, it’s a bummer. A free, integrated tool from a giant like Google was a convenient first line of defense for a lot of people. Their reasoning—that it wasn’t “actionable”—feels a bit thin. I mean, getting an alert that your data is for sale is pretty darn actionable; it tells you to change passwords and lock things down immediately. But here’s the thing: Google hasn’t cornered the market. Not even close. This shutdown basically forces users to look at dedicated, and often better, privacy services. It’s a reminder not to rely on a single company, especially one known for discontinuing products, for your entire digital security posture.
Your Best Alternative Tools Right Now
So, where do you go? You’ve got some solid options. The classic free starting point is Have I Been Pwned by Troy Hunt. It’s brilliant for checking if your email was in a known breach, though it doesn’t scan the dark web in real-time. For more proactive monitoring, VPN providers like NordVPN and Surfshark bundle dark web scanners with their services. NordVPN’s Dark Web Monitor, for instance, will alert you if it finds your credentials in new leaks. Yeah, you need their VPN, but if you’re already in the market for one, it’s a powerful add-on. You can also check credit bureaus like Experian, which sometimes include scans, or try standalone services from Keeper or Malwarebytes. Basically, you’re trading Google’s convenience for more specialized tools.
Beyond Scans: Taking Real Action
Monitoring is just the alarm system. You still have to respond. Google, to its credit, is pushing people toward its other Security Checkup and tools like Password Checkup and passkeys. And they’re right to. If you get an alert from *any* service, your move is always the same: change that password, enable two-factor authentication, and if it’s an old account you don’t use? Delete it entirely. Think of this Google shutdown as a wake-up call to do a full digital audit. And if you want to go nuclear, consider a data removal service to try and scrub your info from broker sites. Because let’s be honest, as that NordVPN research shows, with US payment cards going for about $11 on the dark web, your data is absolutely a commodity.
Should You Just Go Look Yourself?
The article mentions you can access the dark web yourself with Tor and a VPN. My advice? Don’t. For 99.9% of people, manually scouring .onion sites is a waste of time and potentially risky. You wouldn’t wander into a black market bazaar to see if your wallet was for sale; you’d hire a guard or install better locks. Use the monitoring tools as your guards. The goal isn’t to become a dark web expert—it’s to build layers of defense so that when (not if) your data leaks, you’re prepared. Google’s tool disappearing is just one less layer. Time to reinforce the others.
