Google Ending Dark Web Monitoring by February 2026

Google will retire its Dark Web report feature in February 2026, winding down less than two years after launch. The company says it’s shifting focus to tools that provide clearer, more actionable protection steps for users.

What’s changing

• January 15, 2026: Scans for new dark web breaches stop
• February 16, 2026: Dark Web report feature shuts down and related data is deleted

Why it’s shutting down
Google noted that while the report surfaced general findings, user feedback indicated it didn’t offer sufficiently helpful next steps. The company plans to prioritize features that directly help users protect their personal information online.

Your data and deletion
Google will delete all data associated with Dark Web report when the feature is retired in February 2026. You can proactively remove your monitoring profile at any time:

• Go to the Dark Web report
• Under 'Results with your info', select Edit monitoring profile
• At the bottom, choose 'Delete monitoring profile' and confirm Delete

What the tool did
Launched in March 2023, Google’s Dark Web report scanned the darknet for personal information—such as name, address, email, phone number, and Social Security number—and alerted users if it appeared in data breach dumps. In July 2024, access expanded from Google One subscribers to all Google account holders.

What to do next

• Strengthen sign-in security: Create a passkey for phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Reduce your online footprint: Use the Results about you tool to request removal of personal information from Google Search results

Key dates to remember

• Jan 15, 2026: New breach scans stop
• Feb 16, 2026: Feature shuts down and data deletion occurs

Source: The Hacker News