Google has announced the launch of its dark web reporting feature, which allows users to monitor the dark web and identify leaked personal data, to all users, who will be able to use it for free in 46 countries.
In March of last year, Google introduced new features aimed at keeping Google One subscribers safe, including access to its virtual private network (VPN) and a report that allowed users to see if their personal data was on the dark web.
This is a tool – available in the United States at its launch – that tracks the requested information on the dark web, in case of finding signs of leaked personal data, emails or phone numbers and informs users of the problem. It also offers instructions on how to protect this data.
Now, Google has announced that by the end of this month of July, dark web reports will be released. will no longer require a membership Google One, but all users who are signed in to their Google accounts will be able to use the feature for free.
Thus, as explained in an update to its help page, this reporting feature has been extended to a total of 46 countries and has been entered into the ‘Results about you’ section in your Google account.
‘Results about you’ is a service that helps users find out if their personal contact information, such as their address or phone number, appears in search results. This means that with the integration of dark web reporting, users will also be able to check if this information has been leaked on the dark web.
To carry out this report, Users must configure their monitoring profile,This should include information such as your name, address, telephone number, email address and login credentials with username and passwords, the company explained.
The technology company then collects all this information to analyse whether it is on the dark web and, if it finds a leak that includes the user’s data, it notifies the user via a report indicating this.
Google has stressed that any information found in search results on the dark web “will be displayed in a redacted form to maintain data privacy.” After that, with the free service, users will be able to: You will receive an email with a copy of the report and “the two or three main recommendations.”
However, it has clarified that only users with a Google One subscription will be able to use certain features, such as constant monitoring of the dark web to identify personal information, obtaining results for information other than the user’s account email, or receiving notifications of new results. It has also pointed out that Google Workspace accounts and monitored accounts cannot use the dark web report feature.