Since July 2024, Google makes its dark web monitoring tool free to all Google account holders. Dark web monitoring allows users to detect their personal information involved in data breaches, which was previously available only to Google One subscribers.
It remains unclear why Google decided to make its dark web monitoring tool freely available to all account holders. However, any effort to keep users safe online is always welcome.
What Is the Dark Web Monitoring Tool?
Many websites use cookies, local storage, session storage, or other website trackers to get personal data from users. Typically, they ask for personal information like name, address, email address, phone number, and other data. This data is needed to deliver some services to users, for example, when shopping on e-stores. Different types of cookies serve different functions.
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There are strict privacy laws around the world, so businesses must keep the personal data of users safe and don’t disclose it to third parties or in public. Unfortunately, there are also data breaches, and sometimes personal data leaks to the public.
Since 2023, Google has introduced a dark web monitoring tool to monitor dark web leaks of stolen account information, such as email addresses, physical addresses, or phone numbers. This tool was only available for Google One subscribers.
The dark web is a part of the internet that is not visible to most users. It is made up of hidden sites you can't find through conventional web browsers. Instead, you must use specific software, configurations, or authorization to access it. The Tor browser is the most widely used web browser in the dark web that anonymizes the web traffic within its internal network.
The dark web is used to sell illegal products such as data stolen in a cyberattack. Hackers can use stolen data in all sorts of fraud, from opening bank accounts and taking out loans under other people's names to stealing work emails for trade secrets.
To use Google’s dark web monitoring tool, you need to create a monitoring profile. You can select which personal data you want to be tracked by Google for more accurate results. Google web monitoring tool can track the account holder’s name, address, email address, phone number, username, password, and social security number (just for US citizens).
Users can see where their contact information appeared on search results. Besides the Google search engine, Google account holders can monitor sites not indexed by search engines and only accessible via specialized browsers. You can request the removal of that information, which was searched on Google.
How Does the Dark Web Monitoring Tool Work?
To access Google’s free dark web monitoring tool, go to Google's Results About You page and click the Get started button. Provide your name, address, email, phone number, and other information you'd want to track.
When Google finds your information on the dark web, the tool will inform you by sending you an alert with instructions on what to do next. The most obvious response to leaked details of your account would be to change the password and enable multi-factor authentication to prevent account takeover.
If you want to delete your information from Google's systems, go to the Results About You page, and click on the Settings tab, where you will find your account information. You can delete the desired information at the bottom of the screen by tapping the trashcan icon or words of interest.
Note, that not all countries have access to the tool. Dark web report is currently available just in selected countries.
How to Avoid Data Leakage of Your Users?
To avoid personal data breach of your website users, use CookieScript Consent Management Platform (CMP) to create a professional Cookie Banner that prevents the leakage of your users’ personal data. It allows to keep user information safe.
In 2024, CookieScript CMP was nominated the best CMP on G2, a peer-review website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the dark web monitoring tool work?
Go to Google's Results about you page and click the Get started button. Provide your name, address, email, phone number, and other information you'd want to track. When Google finds your information on the dark web, the tool will send you an alert with instructions on what to do next. Use CookieScript CMP to create a professional Cookie Banner that users trust and keep user information safe.
What information does the dark web monitoring tool track?
A dark web monitoring tool monitors dark web leaks of stolen account information, such as your name, address, email address, phone number, and other data, related to your account. Use CookieScript CMP to create a professional Cookie Banner that users trust.
Can I remove my data from the dark web?
Unfortunately, no. If your password, email address, or other data has been leaked to the dark web, you can’t remove it from the dark web. Change the password and enable multi-factor authentication to prevent account takeover. Use CookieScript CMP to create a professional Cookie Banner that prevents the leakage of your users’ personal data.